Forbidden Love
by Princess Azula
Summary: He pretended to fall in love with a girl, but when she left he really fell in love with her. Now, she has to choose over her friends and the truth, or the lying man she loves. Zukara. COMPLETE!
1. The East Side

Okay, this is my first story- like, ever. And I am wicked tired, but I had this awesome idea for a Zutara story. I'm not really one to be this obsessed with Zuko and Katara being together, but I've been chatting in this forum, and I heard about a Zutara story. I read it, and now I have this wicked great idea…(so I hope).

Okay, so uh, just review, please, no flaming. I'm sure most of you have heard all of that stuff already, so uh, I hope you like it, if not, then I guess, I'm sorry. You can tell me, doing so nicely, and I'll try and work on it. And if there's something that you don't understand, then I guess you can tell me.

I know, I'm such a dork. I guess I'm just a little nervous. I've always been writing stories, I've just never let anyone else read them. They're kind of private, but this one won't be (obviously).

Also, some chapters maybe be short, but not too short.

* * *

**Chapter One: The East Wing**

* * *

Katara yawned and stretched her arms as she slowly opened her eyes and allowed them to adjust to the bright shine from the sparkling sun. It was the beginning of dawn and some things were still dipped into shadows of the moonlight.

She looked side to side. Aang was up and already attempting light a fire. Sokka was of course, still huddled up in a ball in his sleeping bag snoring like gravel in a blender. There was a small sneeze from behind Katara. She turned around in Aang's direction once more. "Momo! I just got the fire started!" Aang cried.

Katara giggled under her silent breath. "So, what's for breakfast?" Katara asked crawling out of her sleeping bag and rolling it up and tying it up in knot so it wouldn't roll out.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to check!" Aang said high-jumping onto Appa's back, who was also still asleep. Aang pulled out a small brown bag and dug his hand into it. He moaned as he pulled his hand out with only a few pieces of food left and some nuts and berries.

"Oh, well." Katara sighed wrapping her legs up close to her chest and looking up at the sun with a smile and a dreamily sigh. Aang arched his eyebrow.

"Are you feeling okay? You seem a little _too_ happy this morning." Aang said as he didn't notice Momo jump up and steal the nuts and berries and the rest of the food right out of his hands then eat them quickly and prance away.

"I'm feeling - good. I don't know why, I just feel like something I think will be terrible today turn out great." Katara said. She stood up. "Let's head into town- maybe that'll calm me down." She added.

Aang and Katara both looked at Sokka sleeping like a baby.

"This is my favorite part of the morning!" Aang said rubbing the palms of his hands together with a mischievous smile spread out on his face. Katara rolled her eyes with a chuckle as she climbed onto Appa's back.

Aang leaped down to the ground. He scratched his head in thought. "Now, how should I wake him up this time?" Aang pondered. He snapped his fingers with a smile.

"AH! SOKKA HELP! WE'RE BEING ATTACKED BY PRINCE ZUKO AND A GANG OF FIRE BENDERS! AH!" He screamed.

Sokka leaped up then immediately fell, forgetting to jump out of his sleeping bag. Katara and Aang laughed. The screaming and laughter also made Appa wake up. "Morning, sunshine." Katara chuckled.

"That was not funny guys! I was having the best dream!" Sokka moaned. He stood up and attempted to climb out of his sleeping bag, which eventually worked.

"Let's go, Sokka. We have to go to the market- now." Katara peeped.

"Why are you urging to go there, Katara?" Aang asked her while readying Appa by tying the rope to his horns and pulling them tightly. "You've been talking about it all morning."

"I've only suggested it twice." Katara replied matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, more like forced it." Sokka butted in.

"How would you know? You were sleeping most of the time." Katara shot back. Sokka muttered something with a glare at his younger sister as he shoved his sleeping bag under the back of Appa's big saddle. He crossed his arms and feet with a frown on his face staring straight ahead of him.

"Appa, yip yip!"

* * *

"Finally!" Katara said hurriedly jumping off Appa's back with a smile. "Oops! Aang, will you grab my bag for me?" She asked politely. Aang tossed the bag down to her and his beautiful friend quickly snatched it and raced off into the piers marketing center.

"Why are you in such a good mood?" Sokka asked as he and Aang tried to catch up with her. She tested every type of fruit she could find, picked up and stared in awe at every piece of jewelry she could find, and even petted every type of animal she caught glimpse of.

"Katara! Stop petting my head!" Sokka yelled in an icy tone as he whipped his sisters arm away from his head. Katara frowned for a second then turned the other way with a smile on her face.

* * *

"Uncle."

"We've gotten everything on your list sir- and then some." A fire guard told him.

"Uncle!"

"Excellent! -- You _did_ get more tea, didn't you?" Iroh asked.

"**UNCLE**!"

"What? What? Why are you screaming?" Iroh asked turning around. Zuko was slouched against a stone wall with a bigger frown on his face then Sokka wears. "And you really shouldn't be shouting." Iroh added.

"Why not?" Zuko asked in a cold accent.

"I heard you singing in the shower this morning, your voice was cracking…unless you're going through puberty again." Iroh said.

"One, don't ever speak of that again. Two, I do not sing in the shower. And three, I didn't even take a shower this morning!" Zuko screamed.

"Oh, well then maybe you should've." He said turning the other way holding his nose. Zuko stomped the ground and let a streak of fire come out of his fists.

"Uncle, we have come here because rumor has it, the Avatar was seen sneaking around here. WE DIDN'T COME HERE FOR YOUR STUPID TEA!"

Iroh gasped.

"Not a tea lover? You take after your father I see." Zuko groaned. Iroh sighed. "Fine. How can I help you, help yourself find the Avatar? Oh wait- don't answer. I already know what you'll say, 'Go wait on the ship.'" Iroh turned to leave.

"Go search the western part of these piers. All four directions are all incredibly big shopping districts and I cannot search them all myself. I'll be taking the eastern section if you need me." Zuko turned a corner leaving his uncle alone. Iroh shrugged and began to window shop once more, totally ignoring what Zuko have enforced.

* * *

Aang took a map out of Katara's bag, that he somehow ended up carrying. Katara was far ahead of Sokka and him, but still in good eyesight and earshot. "Okay, so we've hit the north, south, and now we're finishing up the west side of these market piers. All that's left, according to Katara, that is the least expensive, and best item wing, the east." Aang told the gang.

"Great! I love saving the best for last." Katara sighed with a smooth accent tone following her sweet voice. It was almost noon, and Katara was too busy shopping to remember that she was so hungry and she was the only one who hasn't eaten yet out of all three of them.

"Katara, we've been to a lot of island markets. How do you know the east side is the best on this island?" Sokka asked her munching on the last piece of a sweet sun berry.

"Well, I haven't found the best section of practically priceless curios, and the west side has been the best on each island pier market center we've been to! And besides, this island, named after Azor, the Avatar from around 800 years ago, has been named for the best markets." Katara said.

"Who's Azor?" Aang asked her putting the map back into the bag.

"Yeah, if Aang, the Avatar, doesn't even know who Azor is, then how could you?" Sokka asked.

"Because, there's his statue right in front of us. This means we are exactly in the eastern shopping territory." Katara said pointing up at a big statue.

There was a big statue with a tall man with black boomerangs in his hands. He was wearing a shade of both green and maroon. "He's the only person in the world who has parents from two different countries." Sokka walked away. But Aang stayed and listened. "His mother was a Fire Nationer, and his father an Earth Kingdom man. Unfortunately, the Fire Lord and Earth King wouldn't allow Avatar Azor's parents to love each other, so killed them. They didn't kill Azor because he was the-"

"AVATAR!" Zuko screamed leaping off the top of a roof. Katara and Aang gasped.

"AH! SOKKA HELP! WE'RE BEING ATTACKED BY PRINCE ZUKO AND A GANG OF FIRE BENDERS! AH!" Aang screamed.

"No way! I am not falling for that again!" Sokka called.

"No! He's serious, Sokka." Katara said as a bunch of Zuko's Fire Nation guards leaped out and pointed their sharp swords at Katara circling her. "Would I lie to you?" She asked him.

"YES!" Sokka yelled. Then he walked around the corner. "Okay…maybe not." Sokka continued. Then a bunch of Fire Benders jumped out from behing Sokka and shoved a big black bag over his head and tying it right where his ankles were so he'd fall.

And he did fall.

"Sokka!" Katara cried. She took the cap off of her water skin bag and whipped out a swirling ball of water. She slapped the Fire Bender in the face making his spear drop and him fall onto the guard standing to his right.

"Back off, jerk!" Katara screamed, jabbing the guard behind her in the stomach with her elbow. Another fire bender shot his spear right at her hand making her cry out and the water fall the ground with a splash. She let a tear spill out of her eye as she watched her hand bleed. There was no more water in her water skin case for her to heal herself. Her hand was going numb.

"Bag 'er!" A guard said. They threw a black bag over her head and tied it at her ankles like they did Sokka's. She fell to the ground with a squeak and a sniffle of tears caused by her bleeding hand.

"Take them away!" A guard ordered. Sokka and Katara were both lifted from the ground and carried away. Aang watched while also trying to guard Zuko's outraging blasts of fire.

"Sokka! Katara! Hold on!" Aang raced but Zuko caught his arm. Aang let out a cry of pain as Zuko lit up the hand that was holding Aang's arm with fire. Aang turned around and kicked Zuko in the chin making him fall backwards with a grunting wail.

Aang ran but Prince Zuko, being taller and bigger quickly caught up to him. "You're not getting away from me this time!" Prince Zuko yelled.

"You say that every time you see me! It's getting old! How many times are you going to say that until you realize," Aang put his foot out in front of Zuko. "That I will!" Aang said as he watched Zuko fall to the ground and not get up as fast as he did last time. He smiled triumphantly.

"Bye, bye!" Aang laughed waving at Zuko. He turned his head and faced forward. He was heading right onto Zuko's ship. He gasped and stopped short taking up dust and dirt from the ground. He watched as one black bag was being lifted onto the ship.

"**NO**!" Aang screamed in rage. "You let my friends go, **NOW**!" He whipped out his staff and flew up in the air yanking the black bag out of the fire guards hands. A blast of fire shot him down by the foot. Zuko was up again and taking the action.

Aang wasted no time. The other black bag that held his other friend was no where to be seen. Zuko was coming at an incredibly fast speed. He looked more angry then Aang had ever seen him. It was obvious he was having a worse day then Sokka. Aang had to get off that ship.

Even if that meant leaving one of his friends behind.

Aang dug into the water tribe bag and whipped out the bison whistle. He blew as hard as he could into. Then, as Zuko made it back to his ship, with little pink scratches all over his face, and part of his sleeve torn, and all of his armor dirty, a shadow appeared above him. He stopped and looked up. Appa landed on top of Zuko squishing him in the ground. Aang flew up on top of his with the black bag.

"Appa -- yip, yip!" The bison arose from the air quickly and headed near the forest.

* * *

Aang untied the bag and pulled it up letting his friend breathe. Sokka tumbled out gasping for breath. He shook his legs letting his knees let out a few cracks from being tied up and so stiff.

"Huh- huh- huh." He coughed. "W-where's Katara?" He gasped. Aang looked away with a sad look on his face. He closed his eyes with a sigh.

"She wasn't there. Things were getting too hectic. But don't worry, Sokka, I won't let her get away. I won't let Zuko get away with her. We are going to go after Prince Zuko." Aang said.

"Wow. That's something I'd never thought I hear you say." he said pounding on his chest for some reason thinking that would help him breathe.

"But we need a plan. I think Prince Zuko knows that we'll come after her. Like bait. He's going to be prepared. He was furious today. More grumpy than usual- more grumpy than you." Aang said.

"Hey!" Sokka replied. Then he sighed moments later. "He'll still be there tomorrow- that's a give in. So, we'll travel deep into this thick forest, spend the night out here, then early in the morning when Zuko and the rest are sleeping. We'll go in and get her." Sokka suggested.

"I guess that would work…but I'm sure they have guards that do night shifts." Aang said.

"We'll think of something." Sokka reassured him. The young Avatar looked up at him with a not-giving-up-hope kind of smile.

* * *

I'm so sorry! I didn't think it'd be that long! I promise the others won't be that long! You know…unless you want them to be. It really wasn't a big deal for me.

Okay, anyway, how'd you like it?

Please tell me in a review.


	2. The Jail Bird

Wow. Thank you all so much for reviewing. I also discovered I had the anonymous review button disabled. But, I have turned it on, so anyone who didn't review because it was off and you don't have an account. Sorry about that. -shrugs sheepishly-

**Fairy Frost- **Thanks and I am glad to be a big help in your forum. I also glad my story 'rocks your socks'. Lol.

**Avafangirl- **Well, thanks, but you really shouldn't feel that bad about your story. It's just a matter of your summaries. That's what usually draws peoples attention. C:

**Pirateninjelover- **Sorry if I spelled your pen name wrong -sweat drops- Thanks for your review. If you keep reviewing, I'll keep posting new chapters.

**Outsane- **Wow thanks. Your story rocks, too. Way better than mine! I never really was thought of being 'the funny one' in the huge group of kids I hang out with. I'm really more of the one who chuckles at the jokes my friends make. I'm honestly never made anyone ever laugh at me since I was like- five.

**LatinaMewTitan**- Thanks. Again, was never thought of as the funny one. I guess I really just keep to myself, so I've never really tried to be funny.

**Zukoscute2- **Well, one, yeah, he is pretty cute. Lol. Two, thanks. I guess if you've never begged before, I should probably update quick. C:

**ZaphodChick- **Sorry, thank you, though. I tried fixing some of the 'thens' into 'thans'. The location thing, well, you're the reason I rewrote the first chapter, but I guess I missed a few things. Sorry. I'll try it again.

**SovereignxXxBrunette**- Thanks, I will.

**BeenyBFauxFurPurplePeices- **Uh…Thanks, I will.

**C.A.M.E.O.1 And Only- **Sorry if I didn't get your pen name right. So, how is this story weird to you exactly? I'm not really sure what you mean, and I really do want to know.

Okay, Outsane, when I was reading your 17th chapter, I realized I had forgotten a disclaimer. So, here it is…it'll probably be stupid, but I've decided to make my own trademark disclaimer.

Disclaimer: I own Avatar, a pent house in New York, half of Switzerland, and a guy model, an H2 Hummer, and a bag of Milky Ways…_riiiight_.

* * *

**Chapter Two: The Jailbird **

* * *

"I refuse to move my ship off of these piers and you cannot make me!" Zuko yelled at the Fire Nation guard. He crossed his arms and leaned against the bow of his ship. Iroh put his hand on his shoulder.

"Prince Zuko, if they are demanding it, then we should probably just go off the coast." Iroh suggested. Zuko took his hand and whipped it off of his shoulder.

"No! I'm staying here and I'm going to capture the Avatar- with my ship in this spot!" Zuko argued. Iroh sighed and rubbed his temples.

"If we just merely go a little down the shore into another docking area, I'm sure-"

"Actually, people have been complaining about a lot of things wrong with this ship. Too much noise, and some shop owners said one of you kept thieving things out of their stands." The guard cut in. Zuko growled and slowly turned his head and eyed his uncle with an angry glare.

Iroh sheepishly shrugged and slowly backed away inside of the ship. Zuko looked back at the guard. "Who do you work for?" He muttered.

"Excuse me, sir?" The guard said.

"You heard me…who do you work for?" He asked again in a fridge accent.

"Uh... Admiral Zhao sir-"

"**OFF MY SHIP**!" Zuko screamed. He leaped forward to attack but some of his guards held him back muttering something about the Fire Lord was going to hear about this and how he would not appreciate it.

"My, my, my Prince Zuko. You sure do know how to pick a fight. All you need to do is back your ship out of the docks and wait by the coast. But if people can see you, you're too close." Zhao said walking forward with a sly smile on his face and his hands behind his back.

"Fine." Zuko agreed still having a huge bad temper over this whole situation.

"Even if they see you with a telescope, you're too close." Zhao added.

"WHAT? Now that's not right!" Zuko screamed jumping forward at Zhao. Zuko's guards didn't try and stop him from beating up Zhao, but Zhao's guards refused Zuko to lay one finger on Zhao.

"Be out of here by night fall, or face dire consequences." Zhao said turning the other way. His guards pushed Zuko back then followed Zhao out of the scene.

* * *

Aang woke up the next morning bright and early. When he opened his eyes, he realized he was in the back and Sokka was by Appa's head. He had his head resting on one of Appa's horns, and his feet were crossed and resting on the other one.

"Wow. I'm very surprised that you woke up before me!" Aang said astoundingly.

"Woke up? I barely slept. I've been trying to think of a plan. I couldn't sleep ever since Zhao…" Sokka trailed off. Aang crawled forward on his hands and knees inching closer and closer towards Sokka.

"What about Zhao?" Aang asked nervously not really wanting to find out what happened, but still really did want to. '_What if he caught Katara?'_ He thought.

Sokka sighed. "When we were flying above the trees in the forest, I heard Zhao and his soldiers walking through the forest and talking about Katara and Zuko. One soldier said that he went and interrogated the crew and searched the whole ship and said that Katara was locked up. Zhao said something about 'that girl' being bait. Taking her away from Zuko." Sokka said.

Aang gasped.

"And that's not all. Zhao made up lying stories so they had a reason to make Zuko move his ship really far out into the open sea waters. Zuko isn't at the docks anymore. He's gone. And so it Katara." Sokka said the last three sentences sadly.

"No." Aang whispered sitting up straight on his knees. He just sat there in thought. No movement whatsoever. No blinking, no twitching. Barely even breathing. Without Katara, even Momo and Appa were acting differently. Momo wasn't trying to bug Appa or Sokka, and he wasn't trying to steal food or something else.

Sokka wasn't hungry at all, he hadn't even slept a lot, and he woke up long before Aang did. Aang wasn't goofing off, or trying to have fun, or trying to play with Appa and/or Momo. Appa was well, he was the same. But something made Appa look so different than usual.

But nobody could out their finger on it.

It was strange. Without Katara, the whole group was falling apart… and it hadn't even been a full twenty-four hours since she was gone.

* * *

Katara woke up with a yawn. She looked around. Nobody was there except her, three concrete walls, and a wall made out of steel bars. Katara was like her own little jailbird. Across her cell was a cell that had some weird fire nation guard in it. He had his helmet off and was laughing like a retard and one of his eyes was moving around in a circle. He was so thin, you could see his bones.

Katara looked out the small porthole window. She had no idea where she was. The last thing she remembered was her, Aang and Sokka walking into the east side of Avatar Azor's Islands Docking and Marketing Center.

"_Nice of you to finally wake up, sleepy head_." A sarcastic and icy voice said from behind her. Katara turned around with a gasp.

It was Zuko.

* * *

Okay, that's all for this chapter, guys. Sorry to disappoint you. I'd think this chapter would be longer too, but I'm trying to build up the suspense.

Please read and review!

Because the more you review, the more I'll update!


	3. Zuka

Alright, people. Thank you all for reviewing and reading, especially of those who actually reviewed (no offense). Also, I have bit of a problem. Unfortunately, today and tomorrow are my last days of my Winter Vacation until February. So, I've decided to tell you all this now.

Being fifteen and all and being January, the month where most of my family and friends' birthday's are, I will be extremely busy with lessons, classes, homework, and the occasional shopping for gifts and things for myself. And in between all that I've just got a job. I'm done learning ballet class, that I've been doing for thirteen years. I'm the assistant teacher in my ballet class. It's a really cute job. I get to work with all those beginner three and four year olds.

Anyway, as you can see, my life is incredibly busy. I'm barely home at all, and when I am, I'm always sleeping. So, I'm very busy weekly, so I'll only be updating this story two times a week. 

Okay, now for the reviews!

**Outsane: **Yeah, that insane metal weirdo person will have something to do with the story later on. C: Thanks for reviewing!

**SovereignxXxBrunette: **Thanks. I also have a disclaimer like that in my one shot. I think everything will change in my disclaimer each time except the part about Avatar. Thank you for reviewing.

**Chocolate Swirlz**: Oh, I did? Sorry, Almostinsane! I totally spaced on that. My apologies are very high. I don't know how I could've missed it.

**Zukoscute2: **Thanks…I think. Lol. Hey, I was looking at your profile and stuff, you've got some pretty good stories! I especially like Old As Eternity.

**Kasey: **Thanks. I knew I'd get some good reviews from people with no account. Sorry, I didn't know you had to enable the anonymous review button -shrugs sheepishly-

**No Name: **Uh, yeah, don't really know who you are, but thanks for reviewing. I'm glad you liked the story! Again, thanks.

**Fairy Frost: **Thanks, Stel. Maybe somebody will read my story. And yes, Chocolate Swirlz, did review my story. Thanks for reviewing yourself.

**Spleef: **Thanks. That part was going to be the ending scene in the first chapter, but I decided to 'wet the readers appetite' so they'd come back and read more of the story (if you know what I mean). I decided to wait for that scene in the second chapter. Glad you liked! Thank you for reviewing.

**Chickygurl: **Well, I was trying to make it like the one in the Southern Air Temple, because Zuko was kind of freaking out about Zhao in that episode. Looks like I didn't pull it off that well. :c

**C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only: **Thanks. Okay, now I understand. So uh, …thanks…again. Lol.

Alright, those were all the reviews. Again, sorry to Almostinsane for not posting your review in the last chapter. I kind of missed it accidentally. But thanks for reviewing, anyway.

Now, my trademark disclaimer (for now).

Disclaimer: I own Avatar, a big calculator, Johnny Depp, Alaska, and a box of Twinkies…yeah, _riiiight. _

**

* * *

****Chapter Three: Zuka **

* * *

Katara's memory was all coming back to her. She was telling the boys about Avatar Azor. Then Zuko came out. He attacked and had reinforcements. Katara turned her back with her arms crossed against her chest and her lower lips sticking out. Then she remembered some more…her hand. Katara lifted her left hand up. It was in a soft white cloth with some red blood stains running through.

She figured she must've been there for a while because when she turned back to where Zuko was to yell "Let me leave! Where's Aang!" She was merely screaming it to the mental dork in the cell across from hers.

The guy started laughing while snorting at the same time. He wiped his nose while still laughing. Katara only saw the guy for two moments on this ship and already she was completely grossed out and emotionally scared for the rest of her life.

"He-he left a while ago, ya know. He do dat a whole bunch a times!" He squealed. Katara attempted to look him in the eyes. "That guy…that Z-Zu-that uh…Zuka..no, Zula…no Zukkara, no Zuka, no-"

"Zuko?" Katara offered.

"Yeah…he- he I think he-" The guy leaned in a bit. Katara decided to be nice and actually listen to him. "I think he's a little '_mentally slow'."_ He whispered. Katara tried a fake and weak laugh.

"Ha…aren't we all?" She said she said looking at the guy across from her that obviously has Zuko mixed up with himself. "Uh…so, what's your name?" She asked him.

"Uh…Zuka?" He retorted.

Katara tried to keep her cool.

"No…wait- who's Zuka?" She asked him.

"Prince Zuko." He replied.

"Urgh! Never mind." Katara said going back over to her bed and stuffing her face into the old ratty pillow. She figured she had better get some more rest. Either that…or she'd probably go mental too from talking to that weirdo.

* * *

"So," Aang said rubbing his chin and nervously walking back and forth across Appa's big saddle on his back. "We have absolutely have no lead on where Zuko and Katara are at?" Aang asked Sokka.

"That's what I'm saying!" Sokka replied.

"Sokka! You're acting like you're okay with this! How can you be okay with this! IT'S PRINCE ZUKO FOR MY MOTHERS GRAVE SAKE! Why are you so calm about this situatation? DON'T YOU CARE ABOUT HER AT ALL! What the hell is going through your head?" Aang screamed.

Sokka's eyes got big and his jaw dropped.

"Don't you dare ever cuss around me or I'll smack you up side your head!" Sokka threatened taking out his boomerang. Aang growled and gritted his teeth to the bone.

"You don't expect to take on _the Avatar_, and win, do you?" Aang asked him.

Sokka scoffed. "Since when do you say about yourself, '_the Avatar'?_"

"Grr…"

"Grr…"

"Meow!" Momo leaped in the middle of the boys. He took out a nut and threw one at Sokka's head, and then one at Aang's.

"Ow! Hey! Momo!" Aang cried. Then he looked over at Sokka who was rubbing his head. Aang sighed. "I'm sorry, Sokka. I know you care for her. I don't know why I'd say that- any of that! I just- I don't like the thought of her being on Zuko's ship is all." Aang said weakly.

"Ah, it's okay. I do care for her, and I could've been more sensitive to your feelings and the whole situation. I'm sorry too." Sokka said.

"Truce?" Aang asked with a smile holding out his hand.

Sokka smiled back and shook his hand. "Truce." He replied.

* * *

Katara's eyelashes fluttered.

"Y-you pretty." The man said.

Katara opened her eyes and sat up. That old mental man was still looking at her. "What?" Katara asked him while standing up and making the little steal bed. She flattened out the blanket and fluffed the pillow trying to make her cell look as nice a prison cell on a hideous fire navy ship could look.

"I sed- ya pretty. You pretty pretty, I tell you wat." He said.

"Oh. Thanks." She said sweetly back. She still couldn't believe he was watching her sleep that whole time. A shiver went up her spine as she approached the big cell bars that separated her cell from the hall.

"So, what's your name?" Katara asked willing to try this topic again.

"Y-you can call me- me Zuka. Dat's my sisters name. She was pretty. Pretty like you." He replied. Katara blushed. She hadn't known that he just missed his sister who name was actually Zuka. She thought he had just made that up while thinking about what Zuko's name was.

"Thanks…Zuka." She said.

"So, do you just miss Zuka or something?" Katara asked.

The man sighed. "My-my parents died and all I had left was my sis Zuka. She had a bad disease and n-nobody knew how to save 'er 'cept one doctor on this little island. So, she got sent away to da island that could care for her needs... just around the same time that Z-Zula…uh, Zu-"

"Zuko." Katara said.

"Yeah… just around the time Zu-Zuko got his scar and got banished. His father was pickin' recruits for his ship so before he left I snuck onto the ship. I didn't wanna be anywhere unless I had my sis. So I wanted to leave the na-nation"

"You weren't supposed to be there…he locked you up."

"And I been in this cell ever since." He finished sadly. "Two years and no where else. Just in this tiny cell alone."

"You can blame yourself for that." Zuko replied. The two jumped. They hadn't even seen or heard Zuko come up. This time he was alone, unlike last time when he had three guards and his uncle there.

"H-how long have you been standing there?" Katara asked.

"I'll ask the questions here. Danshu, how many times have I told you _not_ to talk to anyone? Katara, stay away from him." Zuko said taking the key off the chain on the wall and opening her cell.

"But why?" Katara asked as she was pulled out of the cell by her arm by the prince. She didn't even know that he knew her name.

"Some things are better left unsaid." Zuko said cooly.

Katara looked at the man. He turned away so she couldn't see his face. She frowned. "Come with me." Zuko said tugging on her arm some more. Katara had tuned him out so she couldn't hear Zuko, but his non-stop pulling made it hard. She finally had the strength to stop looking at the man and move her feet. She looked down at the ground with a long and silent sigh.

'_Looks like I have no choice._' Katara thought. "B-but where are you taking me?" She asked Zuko while looking up. Katara knew if she kept trying to look up at the tall 16 year-old Prince's face, her neck would get sore- and quick.

"I'm taking you to a different cell." He said. He opened the door. But it wasn't the door to another cell. Zuko opened a door to the main hall. Katara tried to let out a gasp in her throat, but it stayed into her throat.

"But- I-"

"_Shhhhhh..._" said the quiet prince.

Katara had no idea where he was taking her, or why she was trusting her at that moment, but she did. She hated him and knew that she wouldn't let anything happen while she was on that ship.

Nothing. And she knew the Prince felt the same way.

* * *

End of chapter three! This one is my personal favorite so far! I hope you like it as much as I do, too!

Please, review!


	4. Hope

Okay, first of all, (if anyone is reading this at all. I have a slight tendency to jump to conclusions and think nobody even reads the authors notes, but anyway) I just wanted to let you know that anything that the weirdo mental guy (forgot what I named him)…Danshu or something like that- yeah, well, anything that he says was perfectly correct. I know I should've put 'said' in stead of 'sed', but I'd say that the guy was locked up for so long- he won't talk to a wall or something, so he probably just forgot how to correctly talk.

Sorry, guys if anything else like that happens, I'll tell you the corrections I've made at the end of each chapter. But for now, Danish…or whatever his name is, Danshu, is out of the story, though Katara might have a thought or two about him.

Honestly, not to be mean, I'm a little disappointed. I know I don't review much, but I've checked my hit counter, and over one hundred have read all my chapters, but most of you haven't even shot a single review my way.

**Outsane: **Ha, thanks. I kind of thought that Aang was a little OOC in the last chapter, but I guess that's why I rated this story 'T'.

**Crazed-fan082989- **Uh…well, I've heard about those beta job things. I'm not sure if it's for people to spell check or something (I'm new and totally stupid to this site, sorry!). If I've guessed right, or half of it, then I'd say if you were talking about the grammar issues in the two paragraphs above, then no, that's okay. I know there are some things messed up in the first chapter, I'm too busy to fix that and I keep forgetting. I'll think about it, if you find some things wrong in this chapter, just feel free to tell me (and that goes for all of you).

**Zukoscute2- **Thanks, sorry. I guess that really wasn't fair. I was just talking about it above the review list. I'm a compete hypocrite. And especially to you, because you're one of the people that actually are nice enough to review. Again, sorry! I'll review your story, I promise!

**LatinaMewTitan**- You and me both, sista.

**Sweetstories11- **Thanks. I wasn't actually a Zutara fan, and I'm still deciding if I am. I just decided to try it. That and the owner of this awesome Avatar forum (Chilled Heart, if any of you are interested) said I should try writing a story. So I just decided to try one for my favorite show- Avatar.

**Chocolate Swirlz- **Huh? Oh, I did write 'she said' twice? Oops. Sorry, guys. I was a little too busy when writing that last chapter. I love to multi-task, but I really suck at it. My brother left Kyle left his laptop at my house when he was leaving and going back to college. I was practicing my hip-hop while making turns and finishing up my homework and the chapter. I'll stop doing that. It's a nasty habit, really, but my brother came back and took his laptop back.

**Blushingrose18- **Uh…I don't think I'd remember to email you every time I have a new chapter up. Why don't you just put me or the story on alert?

**C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only- **Heh, I'd be wicked annoyed to talk to that guy. I think his 'roaming eye' would've set me off. I'd be too disgusted to even look at the slob (no wonder Zuko locked him up-- he didn't wanna see him either! Lol).

**Nilikeye- **Thanks, I'm glad you like the story.

**Jinx The Sorceress: **Thanks, glad you liked the story.

Alright, again, thank you all for the reviews. And also I'm sorry if I seemed a bit snappy. I'm a little ticked off right now. So, uh, sorry.

Anyway,

Disclaimer: I own Avatar, all the money in the world, half of Japan, the Tyra talk show, and a Whopper Jr. from Burger King- yeah, _riiiight. _

* * *

**Chapter Four: Hope **

* * *

"Um, not to be a nag but, where exactly _is _this new cell your taking me to?" Katara asked him facing forward deciding that her neck had already hurt enough. She couldn't afford to keep looking up at his face. Besides, to her, it's not like it would change at all. After all, every time she looked up it always was blank. His whole body. Stiff. With only a frown that still really didn't show any emotion.

"Um, not to be a nag but, where exactly this new cell your taking me to?" Katara asked him facing forward deciding that her neck had already hurt enough. She couldn't afford to keep looking up at his face. Besides, to her, it's not like it would change at all. After all, every time she looked up it always was blank. His whole body. Stiff. With only a frown that still really didn't show any emotion.

Zuko didn't answer, anyway. I think he was a little tired of saying stuff like "I'll be asking the questions", and for her to be quiet, and such. Katara understood what that was like since Sokka would do that to her everyday.

She figured that basically she might not be living in the next couple of days if Zuko were to kill her, so she decided to shut her mouth and not rush Zuko's thoughts on killing her. Right now, she was really only thinking of an escape plan.

---

She had nothing.

Katara tried to make the best of this incredibly long walk. She didn't understand any hallway they went down. Every corridor looked the same to her. They were so confusing. There were no signs or anything for telling which way to go, no big map to tell you where you are and where you location is, either. She had no clue how Zuko was just walking around. It seemed to Katara he knew exactly where he was going.

Then Katara thought that maybe he was walking around in so many directions that he didn't know where he was. Maybe that's what everyone does. They just walk around until they find what they're looking for.

Then Katara decided that was stupid. She sighed, but tried not to make it sound too bored. She thought maybe Zuko could be bored escorting her around his ship, too. Then she thought maybe nothing was going through his mind. But not in the dumb way. He was just so still, but moving.

It was kind of scaring her. And if only a banished prince could scare her by just walking, she just was terrified at the thought of would his father was like.

* * *

Aang kicked Katara's bag in frustration. They boys had been sitting there for a long time now. It was dusk and they had nothing. Nobody ate, or barely moved. They all stayed in place and they didn't get off of Appa once all day.

"I've got it!" Sokka said leaping up with a snap of his fingers.

"What?" Aang asked enthusiastically.

"We find Zhao." Sokka simply said.

Aang frowned. But his frown quickly turned into a growl. "Why would we go find Zhao!" Aang barked. Sokka sighed a don't-you-get-it? kind of sigh. Sokka stood up. Aang sat down. He crossed his legs and put his hand under his chin. He was giving up hope quickly. Like he was loosing his confidence.

"Don't you get it? We could interrogate him! Ask him where he sent Zuko! What direction he went!" Sokka said.

"Sokka, we're two idiotic guys. We couldn't interrogate a harmless panda fly." Aang said totally discouraged. Sokka sighed again.

"We'll be hard core. Ruthless. Show them what it's like to have somebody beating on them!" Sokka said while punching his fist up in the air.

"Oh please, we're just stupid little kids. What damage could we possibly do?" Aang asked lying down and putting his hands behind his heads. Sokka looked at Aang grimly.

"HELLO! YOU'RE THE AVATAR! DOES THAT MEAN NOTHING TO YOU?" Sokka yelled. "You are the bridge between the physical world and the spirit world. You're the last air bender in the world. You're legendary!" Sokka calmed down. "You give people hope. You give Katara confidence. You give her hope that we'll come get her and she'll be free. You give Zuko hope that one day he'll be the heir to the throne again. You give everyone hope." Sokka told him.

Aang sat up. "Sokka, what in the world could possibly make you think I care about what happens to Prince Zuko?" Aang asked Sokka.

"Well maybe you don't care about Zuko, but you care about Katara. And for all you know, they could be making out right now." Sokka lied. Sokka was hoping that Aang would believe his stupid comment so they'd go do something.

"WHAT?" Aang screamed leaping off of his feet. He pushed Sokka down and leaped up on Appa's head. "Yip, yip!" He screamed.

'_Oh yes." _Sokka thought crossing his arms behind his back and crossing his legs. '_This is more like it! This is life. Oh yeah, this is what I'm talkin' about!' _

* * *

Katara's legs were tired of walking around. She felt like she had just walked four miles without stopping. Finally, Zuko opened a door and shoved her into it. She got pushed into a chair. She watched as Zuko took a step into the room also. She was a bit scared as she watched him close the door tightly. She gulped.

"Welcome to your new room." Zuko muttered softly with a vile accent to his sharp tone. Katara began to think that this was an interrogation. In fact, she had a totally subtle vibe that that's what Prince Zuko was doing.

"How would I know where Aang is? I was shoved into an extremely stuffy black bag then shoved into a cell unconscious." She blurted out in an icy voice trying to sound brave and not at all scared or interrogated, which she though was his number one plan in the first place.

"Oh no. That's not what I want to know." He said walking behind the chair she was in.

"What? Then what do you want for me!" She shrieked.

"You seem-" He paused. "Tense." He began to massage her shoulders. Katara whipped his hands away from her.

"No. Stay away from me!" She hollered.

"You seem troubled. Tell me Katara, what's troubling you?" He asked slyly. Katara now officially knew this was all a set up. She wanted to leave. He knew that too. And she found that when creepy and most possibly evil guys started to be calm and quiet, it was even more scary.

"The only thing that's troubling me right now is you!" She yelled she pulled the cap out of her water skin bag expecting a splash of cool water to fill her hand. But then she remembered- it had all leaked out when the fire soldier slapped his spear into her hand.

She gritted her teeth and closed her eyes shut tightly trying not to cry.

The was no hope.

"Okay, so as I can see from this map, there should be a big Fire Nation county around here somewhere in these woods. A big dark place that looks like a huge scar in the forest." Aang said with his face stuffed into the map.

"You mean like the one right in front of us?" Sokka asked him pulling Aang's head out of the map and grabbing the map out of his hands at the same time. The whole thing was like a big island. A moat kind of river flowed all around the big black spot covered in smog, the mix between smoke and fog.

"Those are Zhao's head quarters. He owns all of it so remember, we have to be very careful. There are a lot of soldiers in there and not enough hope for us." Sokka said.

"I know." Aang said. Half of his mind was thinking about the time he and Katara were sick and he was saved from Zhao by the Blue Spirit. The other half was thinking about what Sokka had said. The 'H' word - hope.

To Aang, that word seemed to keep coming up that day.

"Maybe the Blue Spirit will save her." Aang whispered.

"What was that?" Sokka asked him.

Aang popped back into reality. "Huh? Oh sorry. It was nothing." Aang said.

"I'm okay."

------------------

Ooo, as stupid as I am, I just realized what A/N: meant- duh, Abbey- Author's Note. Sorry, I'm a little slow behind here. I registered the day I found out about this site. Anyway, here's my official 'author talks'.

A/N: One, man that feels cool! Two, sorry, yeah I know, I'm a dork. Three, okay, I didn't want to put too much out there for this chapter. It seems like every time I try to write just one chapter, I end up writing more. I don't want to give up too much. That would probably make the story short.

So, I if I continued this story would be pretty long. I'd have about like- 10,000 words on each chapter. So, that's why I'm pacing.

Okay, please, please, PLEASE review! You know…if you want to. I don't wanna sound too desperate, but I'd greatly appreciate it if you do. Plus, you'll get a cookie!

Also, I know Aang was OOC, Sokka was kind of too, I'm thinking Katara was in place just about, I could be wrong, but I also think Zuko was OOC. Yes, I'm no fool. I have everything planned out. You'll soon find out why he's acting like that…

But first, I'll need some reviews!


	5. The Burned Family

Okay, thank you all for reviewing! Keep 'em coming if you want more chapters coming! I'm glad to see some more people decided to review. Thanks guys, that means a lot to me! Especially since I started going around looking at stories on this site, and some might even have ten chapters and only eighteen reviews! That really means a lot to me that you guys are considerate enough to review back. I find myself very fortunate to have 51 reviews in only four chapters.

Let's see how this chapter blows over. I've been dying to write it- too busy. This is the only time my life is like- dead. I love this time of the day. It's mid five to six in the p.m. Nobody's home at this time of night except my dad who's down in the basement playing pool with one of his client-friends. Anyway, before we get on with the story and reviews, let's get on with the past reviews.

**SovereignxXxBrunette: **Hmm…well, it's nice to know I'm not alone in the retarded have-no-clue-what-to-do-on-this-site department. Lol.

**Outsane: **Yeah, I love The Blue Spirit, too. I'm kind of thinking maybe the show will do something with The Blue Spirit again…Thanks for reviewing.

**GO-GO-POWER-RANGERS: **Well, not only would that be mean…I find it kind of disgusting. But I know a few people on this site that would probably love to see or hear or read Zuko raping her. Fortunately for all the much mature people out there, that is _not_ where my story is leading up to.

**Zukoscute2: **You'll see…thanks for reviewing.

**C.A.M.E.O.1. And Only: **Well, at least you said 'in a good way' this time. Lol. Thanks for reviewing.

**Wilderness-writer: **Hmm…cliffys. I've heard about those, never really knew what they meant (yeah…still new to this site, here.) Thanks for reviewing.

**Kicker123: **Thanks, glad ya do. I do too.

**SweetStories11: **Wow! Thanks! But I don't know- I think I was kind of trying to make him a bit outta his demeanor. But whatever. It gets weirder in this chapter. But you'll never really know because this chapter bases mostly on Aang and Sokka.

**Chocolate Swirlz: **Thanks for stopping by and reviewin'!

**LatinaMewTitan: **Wow, two people mentioning about the Blue Spirit? Again, thanks. Also again, thank you for reviewing. Glad you liked the story.

**Akki818: **Thanks. Also again, thank you. I'm glad you reviewed. And I was trying to make Zuko out of character. Maybe Sokka and Aang, too. But they were tense. I can picture the team just crumbling to pieces without the glue that holds them together. And when I say the glue that holds them together- I mean Katara.

**Fairy Frost: **Well, then, this is your day! Or night! Or afternoon…or whenever you read this story. Late afternoon, before dawn…whatever. Anyway, what I'm trying to get at is that Aang and Sokka are totally leading this chapter all the way.

Okay, I won't be here for a little while, so the next time I'll update this story is probably going to be next weekend. I have other things to do and I'm a little stuck on this part with the Zuko and Katara scenes. I know I've written everything down at what's going to happen in what chapter and everything…I misplaced the notes for this chapter.

Note to self- Staple Forbidden Love plans once all found.

Disclaimer: I own Avatar, a Viper, the Play Boy mansion, and half of a twizler…yeah, _I wish. _

* * *

**Chapter Five: The Burned Family**

* * *

Aang loosened his grip on Appa's reins as he thought. For some reason now, his mind was all cleared. He was able to think straight forward once more. He still knew Katara was gone, Sokka and him kept getting into fights, and that he should be worried and upset about both situations, but just one thing dragged at the edge of his mind.

'_I am the Avatar. And Zhao, is a crazy lunatic trying to capture the Avatar- me!' _But Aang must've been talking aloud because Sokka loudly cleared his throat. When Aang turned around to face him, Sokka's eyebrow was arched and he was eyeing Aang with the weirdest look.

"Uhh…just be quiet." Aang snapped whipping his head back in the direction Appa was flying.

"I am the Avatar, And Zhao is a crazy lunatic trying to capture the Avatar- me!" Sokka mused.

"Shhuuddup." Aang growled between the crease in his mouth where his teeth weren't gritted down to the bone. Sokka stopped mimicking Aang, but he was still humming a tune that sounded just like "I am the Avatar, And Zhao is a crazy lunatic trying to capture the Avatar- me!" to Aang.

"_Ah! Zhao the crazy lunatic is trying to kill me! Help me dear Avatar!" _Sokka mocked him in a small girly little voice.

"Sokka- stop." He replied gruffly. "Now, where should we land? A little way's in front of the big double hatched steel gates, or in the woods where we can cover ourselves and walk to the front gate." Aang suggested.

"Uh…both of those sound exactly the same." Sokka pointed out.

"SOKKA! IF WE'RE GOING TO EVER GET KATARA BACK, WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE ZHAO SENT ZUKO!" Aang screamed throwing his silly little Avatar fit again.

"Listen, all I said was that they sounded both the same!" Sokka stood up with his fists clenched. Aang leaped up and landed face to face with Sokka with his fists clenched.

"If we are to ever see Katara again, we need to ask Zhao where he sent Zuko!" Aang screamed.

"Yeah, one, again with the repeating yourself! Two, WHY DON'T WE JUST FLY AROUND THE HORIZON'S COAST IN THE OCEAN! WE'RE BOUND TO FIND SOME GIANT BIG BLACK AND RED FIRE NAVY SHIP SOMEWHERE!" Sokka screamed back throwing his arms up in the air.

"Well, it wasn't my idea to come here! You're the one who told us to come here, weren't you?" Aang asked matter-of-factly already knowing the true answer.

"I don't know! Maybe! All I said was we won't get her back by sitting on Appa all day! You would still have us back at the campsite if I didn't tell you Katara like Zuko more then you!" Aang went out of his fighting mode. Sokka didn't notice. "Maybe you haven't noticed, but you're just some stupid little kid! She doesn't like you like you like her! I'm sure if we find her, she'll be literally- ALL OVER ZUKO! He's her age, you're two years younger then her! She doesn't love you so get over your stupid little fantasy that won't ever come true!" Sokka screamed.

Then noticing that Aang looked really hurt and not ready to kill Sokka yet, and noticing what had just come out of his big mouth, he stopped himself.

"A-Aang. I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me. You've just been on my case all day and all last night, I- I- I'm sorry." He said.

"No- you're not. I deserved-" He cut off as they went flying sideways. Appa let out a paining roar. Fire balls shot through the sky from big catapults set up on the towers. Aang raced towards Appa's head and snatched the reins while still in mid air. He twisted them to the left making Appa level himself again.

Aang and Sokka were too busy screaming and hurting each other's feelings to notice that they were hovering right over Zhao's quarters.

"AAHHHHH! Aang, do something! Land, fly, scream, run around in circles until you fall off Appa and smash into the ground! ANYTHING!" Sokka cried.

"Okay!" Aang said. He shot down forward to the ground. Sokka screamed even harder. And right as they were about to force impact, Aang pulled up hard so Appa's huge tail would smash down on the ground making a split in the earth. Sokka stopped screaming and looked behind. Numerous fire bending guards and their catapults were fall into the huge crack. The others that weren't as close watched then threw their arms up in the air and began screaming and running away.

Sokka pointed and began to laugh tumbling backwards onto his stomach in too much of the hilarious sight. "Uh…Sokka!" Sokka turned around and watched as more guards filed out and black-bagged Aang. Sokka frowned.

"Do you fire benders have any other way to capture people?" Sokka asked not noticing more sneaking up on him. They grabbed his ankles and tired them up then shoved both of his hands into the back of his white strapped belt then tying them up.

"Better or worse?" One guard asked sliding him off of Appa's back and standing him up.

"What do _you _think?" He replied sharply as he and Aang were escorted in to a big black dojo type of building by fire navy guards.

* * *

With her eyes still closed, she felt Zuko's cold hands press against her shoulders sending her down to the ground onto the small bed. She opened her eyes.

"You stay here in your new _cell _for a while." He said opening a door on the right side of the room. It didn't lead to the corridor again, but it was leading to some type of room. He opened it only enough for him to quickly slip through and shut the door before she could see anything.

Zuko was now in _his _bedroom. He wiped his mysterious smile off of his face and sealed it back up with a gruff and scary frown. "Sometimes I scare myself on how far I'll go to get the Avatar. I cannot believe I have to pretend to be 'in love' with her so she'll fall for me then tell me where the Avatar is and what are his plans." Zuko said walking over to his dresser.

He whipped open the top drawer taking out heaps of socks, and laces, and shirts. On the bottom of the dresser drawer, the was a small music box type of box. It didn't look like it was supposed to be owned by anytime of fire nationer, really.

He gently picked up the small box and walked over to his bed. For a few moments he stared at the box with a sincere smile on his face- and a look in his eyes that showed the spirit of a hollow, hurt and lost child.

It was a beautiful box. Wooden. Painted a deep ocean blue. The edges had a thicker line of wood that was painted with a bit lighter orange. There was a golden latch to open it in the front and there was a picture of a dragon coming out of a pink sunset and yellow sun on the front, too.

He lifted up the latch and opened the box. There was mirror on the bottom of the top layer of the box. Papers and other items were placed inside the box neatly. Zuko picked up a small ring. He rubbed the golden edges and eyed his emerald birthstone in the middle closely.

'_The only thing I have left. The only piece of my childhood. My mom." _Zuko thought. He frowned thinking about how his childhood ended when she died when he was three years old. After that- everything was hardcore. Lonely. Zula ignored him, his father hated him- his mom was the only good thing in his life when he was a child- and now.

He placed the ring back in the box and picked up a picture of him and his parents before his sister came into the picture. But his father's face was _burned _out of the picture only showing his mom and him.

"My mom would have never let father burn and banish me." He said aloud to no one and nothing. Then he put the picture down and picked up a small scroll. He unraveled it.

"Ah! My new plan to capture the Avatar. One, make Danshu look like a complete murder and mean jerk. Two, send her to a new 'cell' which happened to be the room right next to mine. Three, scare her by being nice and sweet to her. Four, begin to mysteriously vanish leaving her alone with nothing to do except think about me and what in the world is going through my mind. Five, send her into a whirlwind of lust for me. Six, make every single on of her small seduction-filled dreams at my own cost. Seven, let her spill out every single secret about the whereabouts on the Avatar. Eight, capture the Avatar and his silly little guy friend. Nine, send the boy and girl overboard while sleeping and tied up. And ten, return home for honor and glory." Zuko quickly wrote down on the small parchment taking out a feathered quill pen.

* * *

"So, you thought you could get away trespassing on _my _territory?" Zhao asked. The two were locked onto two chairs in the Admiral's office.

"Well, yeah, I guess." Sokka replied stupidly.

"Quiet- both of you. I'll do the asking, here." Aang blurted out. Zhao stood up straight laughing.

"You?" He laughed back.

"Oh! And me!" Sokka pointed out.

"You two think you can _interrogate_ me? You two are just stupid little children." Zhao said sharply while his laughter stopped.

"Called that one." Aang said grimly.

"Listen- if you could just tell us where you sent Zuko- then, we'll be on our way!" Sokka said offering assistance to the Avatar who obviously was now out of this conversation for good.

"Oh yeah. And you know what, why don't I just go up to the Fire Lord's palace and kill him while he's asleep so the fire nation will go wild not knowing what to do so the war will end!" Zhao said happily.

"Yeah- that'll do, too." Sokka said not catching Zhao's sarcasm.

"**NO!" **Zhao screamed. Sokka frowned. "You two can stay here- I don't mind." He said with a smile looking at Aang who had a frown on his face still. Then Zhao turned to Sokka's direction who began to speak again.

"That'll be great, too! But if Aang and I could just get back to Appa for our supplies-"

"**IN A PRISON CELL!" **Zhao screamed.

"Oh…well, can we still get our supplies?" Sokka asked dumbly. Zhao growled letting blasts of fire come of his fists. He turned back and sat down on his own little throne as if he were the Fire Lord.

Zhao snapped his fingers and two guards from his left and right walked out of two different doors. "Take the Avatar to the most secure cell here. And send the other _idiot _to the vat of death by fire sharks, tiger scorpions, and dragon piranhas." Zhao said quietly.

"Ah! Zhao the crazy lunatic is trying to kill me! Aang- help me!" Sokka yelped as the guards lifted him out of his seat and began escorting him to on of the side doors.

Aang, who wasn't even listening to what Zhao said simply replied, "Sorry, Sokka. I'm the one that created that little shenanigan with the 'Ah, Sokka help Zuko and a group of Fire Benders are capturing us!' comment. And besides, it's 'Ah! Zhao the crazy lunatic is trying to kill me! Help me dear Avatar!'" Aang said.

"No! Seriously! Save me!" Sokka peeped. Aang turned in Sokka's direction with a gasp. Then he got shoved out of his chair and taken to the other side door.

"I'll try, Sokka!" The dark door opened into a pitch black corridor. The door closed after Aang and the two guards taking him were fully in the very dark corridor.

'_If I can save myself.' _

* * *

A/N: Man, that's cool! Lol. Okay, I know there was a few little son to mother moments in here, but it's all part of my plan. I know Zutara was totally rejected in this chapter and mostly kind of flamed, but I promise it's not. Zuko and Katara will be together in this story. And very soon.

And as for Sokka, I think I might've made him too stupid in this chapter making him go a little OCC, but maybe I'm just being too picky.

Okay, please review. This is my longest chapter yet and I want the credit I deserve. But I'll stop nagging because I'm already doing pretty well. Just please give me some reviews.

Thank you!


	6. Dumb Luck

Okay, wow. Sorry I haven't updated. Not sure if anyone even reads the authors little notes, but in the last chapter I believe I mentioned going away so I won't update until the weekend- well, this is the weekend. But, if I didn't mention it- I am now. I got back Wednesday or Thursday though, but I always update on the weekends, anyway. So no big deal.

Wow thank you so much for the reviews. Also, in the new summary, I added a note that said I proofread the chapters some more. I think I got all the spelling mistakes, but I could be wrong. Perhaps I missed a few. I know that sometimes people make mistakes in the reading and think differently about the story because the author didn't proofread, so I just think it's all blasphemy.

I'll try to spell check myself and have the computer spell check the chapter, too. Also, you would all be a big contribute if you check out my forum- It's Avatar, too. It's called Forbidden Love, just like this story.

Now, I can't give anything away, so I'll just note my new website is a Live Journal. I didn't make it to make friends (though if you have an account, you're more than welcome to put me on your friends list), I made it to inform you all that it has updates and what might be happening in the future of this story and stories I might write when I'm done with this one, and such.

Now that I've told everything I need to tell, let's get on with the reviews, shall we?

**SovereignxXxBrunette: **Yes- I knew somebody would point that out. Well, I was writing, and my little brother Brian, the only other Avatar-watcher in my house (he's four) came up to tell me to come to dinner. I was thinking about what I should have Zuko throwing out of his drawer, so I asked Brian. He said LACES. Now, my reaction was the same as yours - why in the world would Zuko have laces? Well- I misunderstood him as you did me- he meant those maroon things he keeps his hair up with. I said that was a good idea. I was going to change the name, but couldn't think of anything so I just wrote laces. Maybe I should've cleared that up in my author's notes after the chapter. Heh. -shrugs sheepishly- Sorry.

**Akki818- **Yeah well. I wanted to make it seem like the show. I think I have to Sokka/Aang part of the story down, but I don't think Zuko would fall for her just like that. He had to have some sort of plan, or it just wouldn't seem right. I hope you understand what I'm trying to get at. I want this to be a successful story and I don't think it would work without that twist. More people would review and ask me what the hell was my problem if I wrote a twist like that, then just making them fall in love.

**Wilderness-writer: **Now, see, somebody gets it! No offense to akki818, of course. I still think maybe I made Sokka a little too dumb, but whatever.

**SweetStories11; **Thanks for reviewing! Glad you liked the chapter and 'ten things to-do' list.

**Monito: **Thank you, that's what I thought, too.

**LatinaMewTitan: **Oh yeah, thanks. You always seem a bit hyper in your reviews to me…

**Zukoscute2: **Hmm…perhaps I have a knack for cliffhangers- of course I still have no clue (partially) what they are. Lol.

**ChocolateSwirlz: **Ohh…thank you. You just made me sound important and special, Flossy. Ha, lol. Thanks for reviewing.

**Fairy Frost: **Yes, well that and you've never written an Avatar story. Lol.

**Jerseygrl246- **See people, originality. That's what I'm trying to get at. Nobody would ever think about that (so I've heard/see/read), but oh well! Thank you for reviewing!

**Kitsune6: **Oh great, first I find out I'm being funny without knowing, and now people are telling me I'm being _too _funny. This is just too much.

Okay, well, I'm done with everything I need to say for now. Not sure, though. I feel like I'm missing something. Oh, well. I'll add it to my author notices at the end of the chapter.

Disclaimer:

Oh, yes. I decided to take a whole new direction in my disclaimers. So, anyone who's interested in my disclaimers and actually reads them, I'll have the new one in the next chapter. Until then, uh…hope you have fun reading the chapter? Okay then, please review.

Well…I think we're done here, then.

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**Chapter Six: Dumb Luck****

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**

'_Hmm…Zuko should really open some windows in here." _Katara thought looking at her empty and so called cell. She crossed her arms behind her head as she lay silently on the bed. She had to admit, it was much more pleasant and comfortable then the bed in the cell. Katara gulped. '_What was Zuko planning to happen to me? Why was he being so nice? Is he tricking me?' _Three questions swirled around in her head like an eternal dance. One that was so annoying. All those questions, she just wanted them answered and out of her head. She just wanted to be free.

Then Zuko opened the door again. She whipped up with a gasp. This time, there was no chair and dresser and candle stick holder behind him. This time he was in the hallway. And he was wearing an elegant long robe attached at the top by a golden clip.

Katara was confused. '_How did he get from in there, to out there?' _she wondered. '_And why was he wearing that ugly robe?' _

"Excuse me?" Zuko murmured. Katara looked at him. He had his arms crossed and he was slouched against the door. She must've said that last part out side of her head because Zuko was looking at her funny with his brow arched and his lips showing a slightly confused kind of frown. She stuttered.

"Uh…nothing." She said quickly leaping up off of the bed while crinkling the blanket that was laying on top by doing so. "So, come to interrogate…" Zuko was swaying closer towards her. "…me…um," She muttered backing up and falling onto the bed and tumbling off of the other side. Zuko stopped with a sort of gasp.

He shot around with a sort of smile on his face. He was hoping Katara hadn't seen him trying to hold in a slight chuckle. Instead he cleared his throat and turned around letting out his hand ready for her to take it at any time. She looked up at him with a sort of frown, really not showing any emotion. Zuko attempted to clear his throat again. "Dinner's ready." Zuko squeaked. Katara rolled her eyes while taking his hand and letting him help her up.

* * *

"So, were exactly are you taking me?" Aang asked the guards. One was holding his right wrist tightly along with cuffs gripping him, and the other guard was holding his left hand.

"To the most secure prison cell here." One guard replied saying exactly what Zhao had told them. Aang was silent. He began to sort of hum and whistle at the same time. The guards were silent but one of them tightened their grip on Aang's arm. They seemed to have been walking forever before Aang decided to chat up another conversation.

"So, uh, where are you little guard friends taking my friend? Sokka?" He asked. He felt like he wasn't himself. Like he could be attacking them right now and freeing Sokka. But for some reason, Aang stayed put and let the guards shove him around corners and up stairs.

"You friend is going to die." The guard said sharply and kind of stupidly.

"Well, yeah. I'll die some time…" The guard looked down at him that said that about Sokka. "You will too someday!" Aang said in small voice. The guard grumbled and looked straight. Aang looked up at what the guards were. There was the smallest and darkest cell with nothing in it (that Aang could see) with eight to ten guards covering the whole bar part of the cell making it even darker in the cell (if that's even possible).

Three guards moved revealing a door. The opened it with a small chain with a metal key on it. They opened the door and threw Aang into it. Just as the two guards that brought him to the cell disappeared, Zhao appeared.

"Oh how the mighty have fallen." He laughed wickedly. Aang wrinkled his nose while crossing his arms with a mean pout by sticking his lower lip out into a frown.

"I've gotten away from you and a lot of others before! Do you think these bars and a few of you lower lackies can keep me in here forever?" Aang argued. Zhao chuckled a bit.

"No. And I won't have you in here forever. Just for enough time for us to transfer you onto my ship and get you to the Fire Lord right away." Zhao said crossing his arms behind his back with his disgusting and sly smile sealed on his disgraceful face. Aang growled. He leaped up in the air with the draft of air bending whipping it around in big and forceful air whips like mini tornados.

Screams and grunts came from Zhao and the guards being throwing back into the steel walls behind and in front of them. Aang lowered his self to the ground. This was his chance. He knew Zhao would call for reinforcements, but he and the other guards weren't getting up very quickly. He grabbed tightly onto the bars. He closed his eyes and bit down on his teeth. Some strong wind currents were coming from the palms of Aang's hands. If they were on the steel bars, bigger currents than before would be whipping out destroying everything in it's path. But instead, Aang spread his arms out to their span taking the bars with him.

Zhao and the others had their eyes closed and covered from the strong winds, things flying into the faces, and the bright light shining from Aang's arrows. The wind currents stopped. They got slower and slower until only the misty breeze from the foggy cloud of shadowed rain went through their bodies. Zhao put his arms down and stopped crouching.

"Told you so." Aang said in his little kid voice again. With a laughing purr, he leaped over Zhao and raced towards the entrance where they came from to begin with. For some reason, he remembered what turns and what stairs him and the two guards went up and down and around, even though he wasn't even paying any attention.

He had many challenges ahead of him. Zhao. His guards. Finding Sokka. He may not have been paying attention, but he did hear vague comments about fire sharks, tiger scorpions, and dragon piranhas. Those were the Fire Nation and the worlds most deadly predators on land and in sea. He wished for the best- that Sokka was still alive.

But one challenge surged through his body the most- maybe Sokka was still alive now, and maybe he knew where he was going because he went down all these corridors, but he has no idea where Sokka is on the whole campus. And that could be a problem. Aang gulped. This day was turning out horrible. He was hungry, lonely, and a wanted boy. Everywhere he turned and went there were three or more guards waiting for him so they could seize him.

The lethal Fire Nationers, raced after Aang as fast as their feet could take them and go. Aang was trying to air whip under his feet. He could believe he left his staff on Appa. '_Urgh! How stupid can I get?' _He scolded himself. Guards from behind screamed and barked "Get back here!" "Stop!" "Stay put, Avatar!" But Aang didn't listen. Then, he came to a dark corridor. Much darker then the others. Aang tried to hold in his squeal. Part of his mission had ended. He remembered the hallway that held the door into Admiral Zhao's office was the darkest of them all.

He raced towards the end. "Ahh- oof!" He slammed right into the wall and slid down with a line of drooling spit after him. "O-oh yeah. The one with the dragon sphere." Aang stood up quickly and brushed himself off.

"You!" A guard alone attempted to race after him. Aang ran and looked behind trying to locate the guard. There was a bigger grunting "Oof!" Than Aang had squealed. The guard had slipped over the line of drool the Aang left and fell with a loud thump. Aang laughed and ran down the net dark hallway. He felt around the edges for a door.

"Yeah!" He turned the big spinner and whipped the large and heavy steel door open. He was in Zhao's office once more. There was a curtain door to the outside where you could see some guards mingling and not noticing Aang, another curtain in the other direction behind Zhao's fake wanna-be throne. There door he just came out of on the left side, and then a door they brought Sokka into on the right side of he office.

Aang raced over and opened the door. There were only two hallways to chose from. It was a confusing maze. Aang groaned. For all he knew, Sokka could be gone. Aang closed the door behind him and slid willingly down on the ground. '_At least there are no guards-' _"Avatar!" Aang looked up with a gasp. Zhao was standing there with a guard at each side. Aang gulped and stood up slowly. Aang though for a moment and stupidly put his hands up as if he were going to be arrested, which he most probably was.

"Uh…no! Please- don't, uh, throw me in a vat of tiger sharks and dragon piranhas!" Aang stuttered dumbly. Zhao rolled his eyes with a muttering moan. He was in his usual stance with his disgusting face melted up in it's usual form and his hands behind his back. Legs spread out.

"You forgot tiger scorpions." Zhao replied gruffly with a roll of his eyes obviously and quickly catching onto what Aang was attempting to do. "("Oh," Aang said) I'm not falling for that one, Avatar. Your little friend is still alive- but just barely. The guards don't chop the chair down and send him plunging into his lethal death until I give them the 'okay'." Zhao informed him.

Aang closed his eyes. Not caring the guards whipped his arms down and cuffed them once more. He was in a deep ponder. '_Instincts. What would Sokka be thinking of right now? His instincts. What would Katara do? How would they escape? What would Katara try to do to get away from Zuko? What would Sokka do to get away from Zhao and his lackies?' _Aang opened his eyes. '_You know Sokka has his own plan and his own way to save himself. Same with Katara. C'mon, Aang! You're the Avatar! What's your plan? Do something your way. A way nobody else can copy. Nobody could copy Sokka's instincts. Nobody could copy Katara's way to guide herself right and out.' _

Aang couldn't think of anything. Katara would use her water bending- there was no water for Aang to bend. Sokka would use his weapons. Aang had no weapons to use- just his air bending. But the hallway was so small and dark, it could backfire onto him. Aang was stuck, and there was only one more way he could think of.

'_But you burned Katara.' _

'_I'm doing this to rescue Katara.' _Aang argued with the other side of his mind.

'_Oh, please. Katara's fine. You're doing this to save yourself. There's no way you could burn her while she's on a gigantic ship in the ocean and your on land surrounded by this weird little moat thing! Just bend some fire!'_

'_What if they also start to fire bend?'_

'_Look at them! Those guards holding your arms! They have spears. And they don't have those weird white shield things over their faces! Everyone knows if their faces aren't covered and they have spears, they can't fire bend!'_

'_But what about Zhao?'_

'_What about him?'_

Aang shook his head trying to clear his thoughts. He couldn't do it the Zuko way and that's for sure. There was no way he could fire bend. He let them take him down one hallway. Aang began to think again. If Zhao didn't want him dead, and didn't want him down where Sokka is, then the hallway they were going down, wasn't the right hallway.

"Yeah!" Aang flipped over and ran back down the other hallway. The guards and Zhao were screaming things like "Get back here!" or "Catch him- now!" or "Get him!" The corridor Aang went down had no other hallways attached to it or any other doors. Aang followed it straight down to the end and smashed into the door again.

"Oooo…ugh, man. I really gotta watch where I'm going." He moaned getting up while rubbing his head. While licking his lips and after rubbing the palms of his hand together he turned the door again and opened it. He was outside again.

"What? C'mon! Was there really any point of me going through that whole lair?" He asked nobody. A guard walked past him eating some sort of fruit.

"Nope." He said as he kept walking not even bothering to look and see that it was the Avatar. He ran around towards the back. There was a deep crater in the ground filled with water. Three giant black Fire Sharks with yellow lightning bolts for their gills and red tails and fins in the shape of fire. They'd stop every five seconds and let a blow of fire out of their gills and mouth. There were little spider type of snapping scorpion bugs. They were orange with black stripes.

Then at the bottom there were vague flashes of dragons swimming around in the tank type of pool. The had huge teeth and colors like piranhas. Aang bit his lower lip and looked around nervously for Sokka. All Aang could see of him were his bags and straps with his weapons in them. "Sokka." Aang whispered silently and sadly as he fell to his knees. He covered his eyes with his hands. "Sokka! I'm so sorry! What have I done?" He cried.

"What _have _you done?" A familiar voice from behind him asked. Aang turned around and looked up. The sun was behind the structured body making his face and most of his body a big black shadow. But Aang could recognize that posture and stance from anywhere.

"Sokka!" Aang leapt up. "You're alive! But how?" Aang asked him looking over at the scary sharks and piranhas and scorpions floating and swimming around in circles. Sokka sighed rolling his eyes.

"Oh, please. It wasn't that hard," He said triumphantly. Aang looked up at him in a face saying 'oh-please-how-could-you-have-triumphed?' Sokka sighed and flattened out.

"A guard went to throw knock out gas at me and pulled the trigger the wrong way making it backfire on him and the other guards." Sokka said.

"Well, that's dumb luck." Aang said with a laugh. "C'mon, let's get out of here." Aang said with a lazy wave of his arm. Sokka followed after him.

"Well, today was a complete waste of time." Sokka groaned.

"I'll say." Aang replied.

* * *

A/N: No, not much Zutara in this chapter, but the next chapter is dinner and the rest of the night which could be some lime…I'm still deciding.

But if you want to know what'll happen next to Zutara, in my live journal profile, there won't be a big giveaway, but just enough to wet your appetite to keep you coming back for more.

Please, review!


	7. The Prince and The Pauper

Okay, sorry for not updating. I had a few other things I needed to do. This chapter might be a bit longer than usual. But, I am seeing a problem. But first before I discuss that problem, which this is basically branched off of what I am about to say, but anyway- people are not reviewing. I know, I wasn't exactly happy with the results of that last chapter because there was no Zutara, but you people should still have the kindness to review.

I only got eight reviews on that last chapter. Anyway, there will be a little bit of lime, and yes that is the same thing as a lemon, but not much. Something will be left unsaid and I know this story is rated T, and I will get into major detail with everything Katara and Zuko do, but still, there might not be much. Just some casual stripping Katara by Zuko here and there, but nothing more then that.

Now, lets get on with the only **EIGHT** reviews which I am not happy with at all, by the way. I only got eight and I waited about two weeks. That's not fair. I'm not going to put this story to a stop or refuse completely to update, but if I don't get more reviews then eight, and I'm not talking nine of ten, then I think I'll do some serious complaining and things you probably won't want me to do.

But I'm sure after this fun and fluffy-filled chapter, you won't hesitate to review because you'll want to know what happens next, but if those reviews don't come in- and quick, face the consequences you all will whether you took the time to review or not. You all suffer together. But- I don't want to sound like the wicked witch of the west or anything, so just promise me if you read my story, you'll review it.

**Wilderness-writer: **Once again as in the second paragraph above, yes, the lime is the same as the lemon mechanism. Thank you for being one of the eight to review my chapter. It is greatly appreciated.

**Darkavater13: **Okay! Thank you so much for being one of the eight to review my chapter!

**Monito: **Yeah it was. After I realized I was on my sixth page, I decided to stop the chapter and just end it with something stupid but partially amusing such as that. Thank you for being one of the eight that reviewed.

**Zukoscute2: **Uh…right! Yes! I totally and completely knew that! -didn't know- Lol. Thank you for being one of the eight to review!

**ChocolateSwirlz: **You're reviews always sort of amuses me. Lol. Thank you for being one of the eight to review my chapter!

**SweetStories11: **Yeah, I guess in a way, I did that to build up suspense to the next chapter. I think this chapter may be the most exciting chapter of them all. Thank you so much for being one of the eight to review!

**C.A.M.E.O.1 and Only: **Hmmm…I've never really understood what your screen name was supposed to stand for. Anyway, thank you for being one of the eight to review my chapter!

**Boylessgirl52941: **Thanks for being one of the eight to actually review the last chapter. I'm glad you liked the story!

Alright, I can see so far that around 75 people have reviewed. I'm sure that'll change after this chapter, though. But, here I am going to announce the people who have reviewed every chapter for my story so far, not including my one shot, though I don't know why anyone would think I'm including that. Anyway, here they are:

1- **Zukoscute2: **Thank you so much for reviewing! I really appreciate it and you're a real inspiration.

2- **Chocolate Swirlz: **Thank you for reviewing! I'm very proud of me and you because you're not even a Zutara lover! But you still supported me and I'm very thankful of that.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Avatar. Wanna make something out of it?

**

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****Chapter Seven: The Prince and The Pauper **

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Katara stayed behind, but close by. It was getting to be a late afternoon and since it was winter, it got darker a little quicker. The sun had already mostly set Katara supposed; so guards were out and about talking and planning and arguing and fighting and everything else. Katara supposed that maybe Prince Zuko's crew ate after him. But then why was just about everyone in the area they were in? Did Prince Zuko eat with his crew? Would Katara be eating with Prince Zuko? I wonder if the crew included Danshu.

They past many rooms and doors and corridors, but they always kept straight. Never went down a different hallway, never opened a door, never went down or up stairs, never closed a door, nothing. They kept straight from Katara's bedroom to their destination. But finally Zuko stopped. Katara banged into Zuko's butt making Prince Zuko uncomfortably turn around on his heel for a short second then quickly turn back.

"You'll be dining with the crew tonight." Zuko said opening to door and turning her direction again. Katara felt something in his voice. "And when I say crew, that does not include me." Katara knew that feeling. But she couldn't think of it. She knew it was on the tip of Zuko's tongue. "Have fun." He said in a small and icy voice. Katara knew it: _uncertainty. _But why was Zuko being uncertain? Why is there a reason? A cause? What? Katara sighed grimly. For one, she absolutely did not want to dine with the crew, after what she saw happen in the hallways with the low life's, and secondly, she was annoyed because until she knew that answer to why Zuko was uncertain, it would bug her. Katara nodded and stepped through the door letting Zuko slowly close it silently behind her. She heard footsteps get farther and farther away. Then a door opened and footsteps going higher and higher. Katara knew Zuko was from her now and she was stuck in a room with creepy, unhealthy, ruthless, slime ball, devils.

She looked up. Losers from one side of the small room to the other. '_Why would something like this happen to me?' _Katara thought. '_Stuff like this never happens to me! Stuff like this happens to Sokka! Not me!' _She let a small whine slip up her throat. She swallowed letting the squeal go back down and settle.

There was dead silence in the room. Then a giant loud laugh broke through the quietness and roared with noise. Katara looked around. Then everyone started laughing. Katara had no clue why in the world these strange people were laughing, but she decided to play around and let a small chuckle break through her lips as well. Katara pursed her lips and walked over to a small table close to the ground filled with food she had never seen before. She sat down awkwardly. People at the table she was sitting at around her grew silent and began to stare at her.

"Uh…"

-------

Zuko strode back silently. His dinner wouldn't be prepared for another half an hour, or so. That's when the crew would most likely be done and Katara would be ushered back to her quarters. That would give him some time to set the 'bomb'. Zuko had one of his hands shoved in a small pocket on his elegant maroon robe. As if, he were playing with something. It was strange. Especially for someone as Prince Zuko to be acting a bit mischievous. But of course, none of the others on the ship cared.

He hadn't gone through a single set of stairs or doorway. Never went down another hallway, either. Just like on his way from bringing Katara to her little dinner party. Zuko was acting incredibly sneaky, too. Whenever he thought he heard someone coming, he shove himself into the closest room and hide. Whenever he thought he saw a threat like a decorated spear or Dao sword, he'd blast some fire. He'd get into fighting position almost after every side-attached corridor. He was trying to act most nonchalant.

But Zuko was hiding something. Something big. Dangerous. Top secret.

"Zuko."

"ARGH!" Zuko whipped around and blasted some fire. He was very lucky at that point the was somewhat much taller than his uncle or Iroh would've gone into a far orbit. "Uncle? What are you doing?" Zuko snapped.

"I could ask you the same thing, young one." Iroh replied daintily.

"I'm going back to-"

"Your room? Isn't that where you always go?" Iroh asked suspiciously.

"It's my sanctuary." Zuko's voice got small and calmer than it was five or six seconds ago.

"Interesting. And what will you be doing in your _sanctuary_?" Iroh bothered in a slight mocking tone.

"Nothing." He replied.

"Well, how about I join you in doing nothing?" His uncle suggested.

"Sorry, you cannot." Zuko said dumbly.

"And I must ask- why?" Iroh replied.

"Because, if somebody's doing nothing, then somebody joins him in doing nothing- well, then two people doing nothing actually becomes something." Zuko said in a sharp wise tone. One that parents or guardians would be feeling very disrespected by. But Iroh, being Iroh, just left a little smirk of his with Zuko as he turned his back to his young nephew and walked away. Zuko growled and walked away sharply on his heel. He walked back until he reached Katara's room. For the whole way there, he was always every now and then reaching into his pocket, and scratching around a bit. But this time when he went to dig into his pocket, he pulled out the small object that was just big enough to fully fit into the pocket itself.

It was a small box. It looked somewhat similar to a matchbox type of thing. But when he flipped open the lid, there was a tube-like case that held a very powerful bombing weapon- blasting jelly.

Zuko opened the small lid and for a second or so he eyed the small packet of blasting jelly cautiously. Finally, he struggled and fought with himself to dip his finger into the jelly. For even a powerful, strong and brave Prince would be hesitant with such a powerful weapon useful for only destruction. In fact, it was becoming to lethal, that some parts of the world named it illegal. Thank God for Prince Zuko he wasn't in one of those parts of the world.

He opened Katara's bedroom door and stepped in. He slowly and quietly closed the door. Then he slowly smeared the dipped point of his finger along the edge and hinges of the big steel door. He dipped and smeared, and dipped and smeared, and dipped and smeared until the whole outline and hinges of the door was covered in a thick, but not very noticeable outline of blasting jelly.

He stepped back and eyed his 'artwork' so called. He put the little matchbox type thing filled with some leftover blasting jelly back together and shoved it back in his pocket. Then, surprisingly, and kind of obvious, there was another pocket on the other side of the overcoat-type of chic robe.

He pulled out a hand full of small tiny toothpick-like wooden sticks. Thin, well-carved, smooth, small. He crouched down about one or two feet away from the door on the right side. He lined them all up until he got to the door. He rowed them up until the final one was glued into the blasting jelly.

Then, laughter and loudness filled the air: the crew's meal was over. Zuko raced back over to the end wooden stick. He heard footsteps coming closer and closer to Katara's bedroom. It was Katara. She was coming back. Zuko watched as he made a small flame encase his whole index finger. He gently and slowly placed his finger on the last wooden stick. He watched as it blew into flames and made it's way slowly towards the end one that was covered in blasting jelly. Zuko quickly jumped up, and like a ninja he raced into his room and shut the door silently.

-------

Katara trotted towards her bedroom. No, she wasn't being escorted. Surprisingly, she remembered her way back, then again how could she not, since it was all in a straight line. Katara stopped. Her stomach grumbled. Katara hadn't eaten a thing. Seeing all those disgusting slobs eat made her loose her appetite very, very, _very _quickly. But she was still hungry. '_No wonder Zuko doesn't want to eat with his crew. Their eating habits are atrocious.' _Katara thought. She shrugged then kept walking. Then stopped again. She was close to her bedroom door. It was open, even though she could swear she closed it when Zuko was showing her where she'd be eating. She heard a crackling sound. That's why she had paused the moment before.

Katara arched her eyebrow and pressed her cheek and ear against the steel wall that enclosed her bedroom away from the hallway and Zuko's room, and who's ever or what ever's room on the other side. There was a spark sound. It was moving. Katara let out a small gasp. She felt it moving, so she moved with it. Creeping closer and closer towards the door. But she didn't notice. She was too busy focusing on the crackling sound. '_What is that? Is it in my room? Or between the wall? The plumbing system or something? Think, Katara, think!' _

"Huh! Oh no!" Katara gasped. She ran up to the door and leapt in. "**NO!" **She shrieked. But it was too late. A burst of flames splashed out violently. The door busted into flames and exploded falling onto Katara's feet trapping her. Katara shrieked and cried. Smoke was fogging up her lungs and eyesight. She began to cough. She searched around. She tried grabbing onto the bed, the flames had already gotten to that, as well. She attempted to grab the blanket to pull over her body and protect it from getting burned, but her hands got burned in the process that, so she didn't even get the blanket.

Then the door slammed open. Katara waved her arm around panicking trying to see who was there. She couldn't take it then. Fumes were taking over her nostrils. She couldn't breath. She laid her head on the ground with a smack giving up and letting the flames and blanket of smoke win. She felt footsteps stomping over towards her. Then she felt somebody lift her up bridal style. She attempted to open her eyes.

'Z- Zuk_kkoo…"_ She shut her eyes again.

-------

Katara felt a cool sponge be lay upon her sweating forehead. '_Why am I here?' _She was on a new bed. A clean one. A very comfortable one. Rather than her old cell bed or the one that burst into flames. Yes- the fire. '_That's why I'm here- the fire.' _Katara thought.

Katara tried to open her eyes. Everything was blurry then went into focus. She saw Zuko. Now she knew where she was- Prince Zuko's bedroom. And she was on Prince Zuko's bed.

"Ow. W-what happened to me?" Katara drearily asked.

"You blew up." Zuko said as if it's something everyone does everyday.

"Well that's not very convincing." Katara whined grimly. Zuko made a jolt of his back.

"That's a little rude for somebody who saved you, isn't it?" Zuko replied not taking that mean comment to heart. Katara shook her head slowly.

"No- you're right. I'm sorry. And thank you for saving me." Katara said sheepishly in a very sincere tone. Katara blushed and tried not to look up at the banished Prince. But she couldn't help herself for some reason. She looked up shyly brushing off her shoulder with a weak smile at the same time. Zuko hid a smile under his deep and straight face. But Katara could see it shine through. Because for that moment and that moment only, Katara was the only person who could actually in a weird way understand Zuko for whatever means it has.

"Well then, you are welcome." He said quietly. He sat on the edge of his bed by Katara's feet, saying nothing during or after the process. Neither did Katara.

"So…will I have to go back into a cell?" Katara asked. Half of her wanted to see Danshu again to talk to him and see if Zuko was telling the truth about him, and the other part was wondering if not, where was she to stay?

"No." Zuko replied slowly after a few quick seconds of Katara ending her question. He stood up again and walked over to a mirror on the other direction's wall. He was just looking. Maybe at the reflection of his past? Or maybe just him. Or maybe how he'll look when he captures the Avatar. Then Zuko stepped aside, still in the mirror's frame, but now has a clear shot or Katara in the reflection of the mirror.

"So then, where will I be staying?" Katara asked.

"In here. With me. Safely." Zuko said.

"What?" Katara asked. Zuko turned around and walked over to her.

"Katara. You must. It isn't an option. We do not know who had set of that bombing jelly. It could've been anyone on this ship and we have no evidence of who did it, yet. Nobody would ever go near you if you were in my room, or ever," Zuko moved Katara closer to his chest. "close to me." He whispered in her ear.

"No. I can't." Katara released herself from Zuko's grip and raced towards the door. Zuko was quicker though and blocked the door before Katara could open it.

"You can, and you will. No option included." He murmured.

"Please!" Now tears were beginning to spill down on Katara's caramel complexion. "I cannot stay! I do not belong here!" She cried. She raced past Zuko and jumped into her old burnt room. She tried to open the door again, but Zuko lightly and gently tossed her out of the way and blocked the door.

"I will not let you leave. Not now, not ever." Zuko said grabbing her wrists and bringing her closer. Katara began to stuttered words that weren't even real. Zuko shook his head stupidly growling at himself. "I'm sorry. That was a little too intense emotionally." Katara huffed and agreed. "Listen, please, just spend the night getting to know the _real _me." Zuko said putting emphasis on 'real me'.

"I don't know." Katara said unsteadily.

"Please? Katara-" Zuko said putting his finger under her chin and lifting it up making her face at the exact length of Zuko's. They were close- and face-to-face. "Doesn't everyone deserve a second chance?"

-------

"No!" Katara giggled.

"Yes." Zuko said taking off his shoes and jumping off the bow of his beached and anchored ship into the soft sand. He had ordered the driver and navigator to go towards the closest beach, which just happened to be right on the other side of Avatar Azor's market place. It had taken about the whole night so it was around 11:00. While they were waiting they both had a 'late dinner' together, since neither of them got to eat at the time they were supposed to.

"No way!" Katara shrieked again as she took Zuko's hand allowing him to help her down off the ship.

"Oh yes." Zuko replied.

"You?"

"Me."

"Aang?"

"The Avatar."

"Admiral Zhao?"

"Zhao."

"You?"

"Me."

"The Blue Spirit? You? Saved Aang? The Avatar?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Really, really?"

"Yes!" Zuko was getting annoyed now a bit.

"Sorry. I just still can't believe it." Zuko smirked at her comment. She stuttered and blushed. "I mean- I can see why you did that but- wow. You're the Blue Spirit?" She asked again.

"So you've heard of the mysterious masked one." Zuko asked.

"Well, I saw a 'wanted' poster of him on the other side of a map when Aang, my brother and I were heading to a Fire Festival." Katara shrugged in a bragging type manor.

"You went to a Fire Festival?" Zuko asked.

"Yep."

"You?"

"Oh yes."

"And The _Avatar_?" Zuko asked astoundingly.

"Okay- now you're doing that short-question asking thing." Katara mentioned. "And you're right- that is a bit annoying." She added jokingly.

"Sorry." Zuko looked around with a wince. "Katara- I'm about to ask you something I've never even though of asking anyone else." Zuko said seriously.

"What?" Katara asked thinking she was about to hear something very important and serious.

"Will you go swimming with me?" Zuko asked looking at the deep sea. Katara turned around. The golden moon was shining the diamond sky. It pushed the tides into the beautiful and comfortable white sand as soft as silk.

"Uh…no." Katara said giving it some deep thought. (Sarcasm, people. Sarcasm)

"You sure?" Zuko asked not giving up on his question.

"Would you be willing to take 'no' for an answer?" asked Katara.

"Well- like I said before. I've never actually attempted to ask anyone to swim with me." Katara chuckled a little at that comment.

"Good point. Sorry- but no." Katara said sincerely apologetically. Zuko shrugged it off and kept walking. They were a good far distance away from the ship now. Far out of sight. There was nothing where they were. Just beach. Maybe so beach tree and shrubs now and then. Maybe a nice rock around- like the kind you can just sit upon all day and write or day dream. But other than that, which only came every now and then, there were only two things: Prince Zuko and Katara.

------

Katara looked up at the sky. "Wow. We better be getting back. It's very early in the morning." Katara announced. Zuko scoffed and tried eyeing what Katara was.

"I give up. What are you looking at?" He asked getting very annoyed that he couldn't see what Katara was looking at and how she knew it was very early in the morning.

"The moon. Just like the sun, you can tell what time of the day it is." Katara specified. "That and it's becoming dawn." Katara pointed out stupidly.

"Well, then, I guess we should be heading back." Zuko said.

"Uh, yeah. We should." Katara turned to leave but tripped over Zuko's foot and smashed into the water's surface. Zuko did a little surprised type of gasp. He turned towards her fully and watched as he face peered out of the water. She spit out some water from her mouth.

"I hate salt water. It always makes my lips burn. Blech. Hey- wait a second- you did that on purpose!" Katara cried. Prince Zuko raised his eyebrow.

"Say again? Are you blaming me for this? You're the one that tripped over my foot." He backfired, making Katara unsure if he was joking or not.

"No- you're holding a grudge. I said I wouldn't go swimming with you, so you waited for the perfect moment to 'accidentally' trip me making me fall into the ocean." Katara thought she had Prince Zuko all figured out- that and she used air quotes on 'accidentally'.

"I did not purposely trip you! Now get out of the water! It's freezing! You'll catch an illness!" Zuko said trying not to sound too worried.

"No-no. Actually, this is pretty relaxing. Like a hot spring. Except, you know- it's not that hot. But it is pretty warm." Katara said dreamily. Zuko smirked with a roll of his eyes. Zuko stood up straight and let his hand out for her to take and have Zuko help her up. But instead, Katara (of course), grabbed his hand and pushed him into the water making a big splash.

Zuko did the same as Katara, bursted his face out of the water and spit out the salty-tasting water in his mouth. He looked up dumbly at Katara with a face expression saying 'What the hell just happened to me?'.

"Hey! I was trying to be nice!" Zuko whined. Katara tried to hold in her laugh because she thought it'd be a little to hurtful towards the Prince because he did just try and do something nice for her. She watched as Zuko rubbed his eyes trying to get the water and salt out. Trying to hold in her small chuckle, she twirled her index finger around making a small slither of water dance out from the rest of the body of water.

"Oh Zuko…" She mused. He stopped wiping his face off and looked up. Then Katara splashed him in the face with the lace of water.

"Hey!" Zuko laughed waved his arm in the water as if her were batting making a splash of water come up over Katara like a tidal wave.

The two laughed and splashed and kicked, and even Zuko, the stiff and hardcore, rough Prince enjoyed every bit of it and never tried to wipe the smile off of his face. Finally, after about a half an hour of splashing and acting like small, innocent children, they calmed down. Katara had now crawled into Zuko's arms.

"Wow. I haven't laughed and enjoyed myself this much since-" Zuko thought for a moment or two while Katara closed her eyes and enjoyed listening to Zuko rant. "Well- ever." he finished. The two chuckled again. Katara smooshed her cheek into his chest, rubbing it gently with the back of her hand. The cloth went up and down as Katara touched it. Finally the stitch of the piece of clothing fell apart and the shirt ripped open. But Zuko didn't care- neither did Katara for sure.

"I feel- hot. Kind of like a fever." Katara said waving her hand lazily in front of her face as if it were a fan, trying to cool her down. Zuko innocently send his index and middle finger astray, playing with the sleeve of her shirt and actually pulling it down a tad- that is, until Katara interrupted him.

"How can I feel hot, but you can't? You're a fire bender. You control everything hot. I'm a water bender. I can control everything cold." Katara said astoundingly sounding a bit stressed.

"You seem-" Zuko started off as he massaged her shoulders making both sleeves slip off. Katara had her eyes closed enjoying the sweet softness of Zuko's manly hands on her sensitive shoulders. They both didn't really think the relationship was going too fast. Prince Zuko, of course, was going by his evil plan, still. But Katara had no idea and was just going with it all. "You seem very tense." Zuko repeated. He stopped massaging and let one of his arms wrap around her waist. Katara let a little whiney groan slip up her throat.

"Zuko, we should really be getting back." Katara said attempting to get up from her comfortable spot in the wet sand and the soggy clothing of hers and Prince Zuko's stuck together because they were both so wet.

Katara finally made it to her feet. Zuko tried standing up, but slipped and splashed back into the water. Katara couldn't help but giggle. She began to lend her hand towards him- but then hesitated. When Zuko lent out his hand, she took it and pushed him in the water. Would Zuko do that to her?

"I promise I won't." Zuko said, as if he had somehow heard what she was thinking. She smiled at him.

"I believe you." She said lending her hand out. Zuko took it and stood up gracefully this time. Katara stepped out of the water and Zuko swayed silently after. Katara began to rinse out her hair from all the soggy and salty water.

"Eew, I am definitely taking a shower or bath when we get back to your ship, Prince Zuko." She said disgusted. Zuko scoffed with a tinted laugh.

"Not before me, you don't." He replied. Katara turned around about to ask him about the tern 'ladies first'. But when she turned around, Zuko was putting on his nice, warm dinner robe. He was enriched with a fine silky overcoat, while Katara was standing in front of him soaked to the bone.

"Hey! What about me?" Katara begged. Zuko smirked and opened the robes side and walked over towards her with his arm out catching her. The two began to walk back.

"You do realize by the time we get back it'll be morning, right?" Katara asked.

"Yes- unfortunately." Zuko replied softly.

The two shared one more laugh after that from Prince Zuko's comment, even though they both knew it wasn't very funny at all. After all, how could the stubborn and mean Prince of the Fire nation be funny? Katara didn't know. Then again, how could the Prince of the Fire Nation be this kind and loving towards a Water tribe peasant? To anyone?

* * *

A/N: Yeah! Woot! Woot! Go Abbey! Go Abbey! 11 pages long, baby! I hoped you enjoyed! And I do expect a heavy handful of reviews coming at me. I've worked hard for many reasons. But then again, you don't have to review if unwanted to, but it would be greatly appreciated.

Also, I proofread it, but if you see a spelling mistake, please let me know so I can fix it.

Thank you! And I know there wasn't much lime or lemon, or whatever you call it- but I did mention at the top I sort of changed my mind and it seemed too rushed so there won't be much.

Review please!

And I don't want anyone telling my it was too rushed or characters were OC! (Please)


	8. Part One: Secrets

Alright, I'm very sorry for not updating in a long time. I've been on February vacation in Miami with my family. I'm not sure if I warned you all in the last chapter, but I think I forgot to then. Again, sorry. I'm also sorry for being such a bitch in the last chapter.

Also, I'd like to thank you all for reviewing, **Kesley, Chocolate Swirlz, k, SweetStories11, Boylessgirl52941, Rachel, C.A.M.E.O 1 and Only, ElfLuver13, Chocolate Swirlz (again), Punnie, wilderness-writer, akki818, Avafangirl, darkavatar13, jerseygrl246, SovereignxXxBrunette, **and **zukoscute2. **

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Chapter 8: Part One: Secrets

* * *

"Admiral Zhao, sir." The heavily panting and tired fire guard began. Zhao turned his back to his big map of Avatar Azor's Islands hanging on the back wall of his small, private office.

"Ah- just the man I wanted to see." He retorted slyly to his assistant fire guard. The guard stiffened up his posture ready to listen to his master speak clearly to him. Zhao turned back towards the map of the islands. "The Avatar- I believe that he is still on this island. Or in the Avatar Azor's district. There is no way even the Avatar could get out of these islands by just one night. The islands are much to big. I know for a fact, very well, that he is still out there."

"Yes- you see, sir." The man stuttered. Zhao turned around utterly disgraced.

"You have more important news?" He paused. "So important that you must interrupt me during my plans?" Zhao asked sounding as if he were getting incredibly irritated.

"Yes, sir."

"Then what is it? Speak up!" Admiral Zhao barked.

"When I was scouting the perimeter of the island-"

"Yes…"

"I found Prince Zuko's ship anchored on land." He said. Zhao turned and looked at his assistant. He slowly walked around his desk and got right up into his assistant's face.

"You mean to tell me that Prince Zuko, despite my orders of him staying away from the islands, docked his ship right outside the perimeter of our Fire Nation-inland territory?" Zhao asked, half of him believing his assistant, the other half not.

"Ye- yes, sir."

"Then the Avatar must be with Prince Zuko!" Zhao said thrashing his index finger in the air. "Assistant Shoku, ready the rhinos and my army fleet. We strike Prince Zuko at mid day!"

---------------------

Katara lazily, barely awake, rolled over to her other side, momentarily taking a deep breath and letting it out as a moan, then opening her eyes. She was in Prince Zuko's empty sleeping quarters. He wasn't in there with her. She in his bed, in his bedroom- completely alone. '_He's probably practicing fire bending or something.' _She told herself as she flung the covers off of her legs and slipped out of the bed. '_Well, I'm sure he won't mind if I have a peek around.' _She thought, as she grew bored with nothing to do and no one to talk to.

Katara looked around everywhere. She wasn't exactly trying to find anything, she was just snooping around for absolutely nothing. The she began looking through his drawers. Just armor, pants, shirts and undershirts. Then she got to the top one. She pulled out the little box of Zuko's childhood past. '_Wow. This is beautiful. I wonder where Prince Zuko got it.' _She wondered.

Curiously, she opened the beautiful box only to find many trinkets, a few pictures, and- a parchment. Katara gently handled the small and delicate piece of coiled paper. She lightly, barely touching it, unraveled it. And what she found, devastated her. It was Prince Zuko's plan to capture the Avatar! '_But I thought- that he. Ugh!' _She began to sob. '_How could I have been so stupid!' _Just then the door opened. I was Prince Zuko.

"Katara, oh, you're awake-- hey! Don't look in that!" He yelled angrily.

"You're just using me!" She screamed jumping up from the bed.

"That box is private. My mother made that for me! She's dead and that's the only thing I have to remember her by!" Prince Zuko was just as raging as Katara at that point.

"Last night- none of that meant anything to you?" She loudly and still very angry asked.

"Yes- maybe. Kind of- wait! I'll be asking the questions here! What were you doing looking through my stuff?" He asked through his arms out. Half of his bed was flipped over, all his drawers opened, closet, pillows were thrown off the bed- everything that was held secret and captive- all of the Prince's secrets hidden in his room, his box, revealed. And to an outsider of his kind.

"Well I wasn't trying to find your stupid plans and stupid secrets if that's were you were thinking." She mocked him waving her arms everywhere she spoke then folding them across her chest when she was finished.

"We I wasn't, but no I am." He wise-ass replied.

"That's not the point! Yes, I am sorry I looked in your box. I am sorry that I went through your stuff. And I am mostly sorry that I actually came to believe that the Prince of the Fire Nation could actually show emotion, and have feelings and have fun with somebody- especially an outsider to him." She said briskly.

"No- that's not it- not at all. At least, not anymore." He replied sheepishly.

"Oh wait-" She reached her arms out. "Let me guess- you've changed. And now you have a kind heart of gold!" She said sarcastically.

"Yes- exactly- except…not in the way you just phrased it." He retorted to her reluctant sarcasm. She arched her eyebrow while crossing her arms. From her body expression, it didn't take a genius to tell she obviously didn't believe him- it also looked like it'd take a miracle for her to believe him.

"You know, the Fire Nation is a horrible Nation. I didn't think there was one good soul who was a Fire Nationer. I always thought they were all hypocritical, shrewd, nasty, and bitchy. 'Prince Zuko is selfish. He doesn't care about anyone but himself. He's not trying to capture the Avatar for his father and Nation, he's doing it so he can have the crown to the throne.' That's what everyone I met that knows about you that's not on this ship said about you. I always thought they were true. Until last night, I knew they were wrong. I can't believe I actually believed that you changed. And could feel emotion. But obviously I am a complete idiot for thinking that. And now I have that proof." She said hurtfully.

"Katara I-"

"Our short-term relationship was incredibly fast. I knew that. I've only been here for three days, and I honestly and actually thought that I could be in love with you. But I guess I was wrong about that too." She added.

"But Katara- I. I do want and need you," He stuttered.

"There's a part of my heart and mind really wants to believe you, Prince Zuko. My Gran Gran always taught me to trust my mind and heart. But I won't believe you. But I will trust that part of me that believes you. So I'll give you one chance to prove to me, that you do want and need me here." And with that, no clue where she was going, Katara walked straight out of Prince Zuko's head quarters leaving him dumbfounded and silent.

---------------------

"Yawn. Bored. Sigh." Sokka listed lazily. Aang, who had bags under his eyes from no sleep all yesterday and that night, put his hand up to his mouth and let out a real yawn himself.

"Sokka, I'm tired, too." Aang reassured him. Aang's grip on Appa's reins loosed. He was putting his chin to his chest with his eyes closed. Sokka was watching from the back on Appa's saddle.

"Aang! Watch out!" Aang had fallen asleep, leaving Sokka to race up, grab the reins, and pull as hard as he could in the left direction so they wouldn't hit a big oak tree. They had just made it out of the forest and were now on the shore. And lucky them, Prince Zuko's beached ship was right in front of them.

"Aang!" Sokka shook Aang by the shoulders trying to wake him up. "Aang look! Zuko's ship!" He was still asleep. Sokka stopped shaking him and sighed. "We can sneak on the ship and go get Katara." Aang leaped up, grabbed his staff, and jetted off Appa. Then he stopped half way and turned around.

"C'mon, Sokka!" Aang called impatiently while waving his arm in the air motion Sokka to come with him. "We don't have all day here!"

"Oh, yeah. You're right. We only have 18 hours left of a 24 hour day period." He said slowly slipping off Appa. "I guess I'd better hurry up then, shouldn't I?" He asked sarcastically and purposely trying to make Aang annoyed with his slow walking and sarcastic muttering to himself saying he should pick up the pace.

"Sokka, my foot is now tapping." He said pointing to his tapping foot for a second then crossing his arms again with a groan.

Sokka walked even slower.

"Okay, obviously you don't know what it means when I TAP MY FOOT!" Aang began to scream. Sokka stopped. Aang gasped a little then groaned, slapping himself in the forehead.

"Oh, look, Aang! Birds!" He said thinking of new ways to slow them down.

"Yeah, and do you know who should be here with us to see those birds? Katara! So lets go get her, shall we?" Aang asked pointing to Prince Zuko's ship trying to put on a fake, but convincing, smile.

"Okay Aang." Sokka began to jog over while Aang was muttering 'Finally!'. Then he stopped again. Aang let out a groan. "Trees! Oh! And look at that pretty rock! And -"

"That's it- let's go!" Aang said grabbing his wrist and racing towards the ship.

-------------------------

'_I hate yelling at people.' _Katara thought as she paced her walk all around his ship. '_And I don't feel great about yelling at Zuko, but he needs to get his facts and thoughts straight. It's not fair. He's so selfish and shrewd, hypocritical. He's a big jerk; a phony.' _She sighed. '_But let's face the truth Katara, you can admit it that you would miss being on his ship with him if Aang and Sokka came and got me.' _Just then she began to squint. She had just walked outside to the bow side of the ship, facing towards the sun and sand.

The sunny skies were dreadfully blinding, but she was pretty sure she was alone outside. But she was also pretty sure she could see Aang and Sokka racing up to the boat.

"Aang?" She tried running towards the front. "Sokka!" And Aang, still grabbed onto Sokka's arm, leaped up onto the deck. Aang whipped his hand away from Sokka and raced up to Katara and actually hugged her. And she hugged back.

Moments later, after Sokka's awkward coughing trying to get the two to notice him, Katara let go of Aang with a sly and witty smile at Sokka.

"Alright, you too," She said with her arms stretched open walking towards Sokka. She tightly bear hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. Sokka, with a disgusted little-kid-type groan pushed her away.

"That's not what I meant- we should really go-"

"That's right you should go." Sokka, wide-eyed turned around slowly with a big spear pointed only inches away from his face. A huge gulp slid down the three's necks. Zhao, centered, with his assistant, Shoku, pointing a spear in his face.

"So I Was right; you are with Prince Zuko. Well," Zhao licked his lips. "That's about to change." He said followed by an evil, hollow laugh slipping up Zhao's throat.

Then, a sharp and icy voice from above called down breaking the evil silence.

"We'll see who's laughing after I kick your ass!" A shadow of a man standing on the highest point on Zuko's ship mysteriously barked.

"God? Is that you God?" Sokka asked actually bowing down. Katara rolled her eyes and kicked him in the arm. Sokka let out a small yelp of pain and surprise.

"Don't be stupid, you big oaf. It's Zuko!" She said pointing up to him as Zuko high jumped off the top headed straight for Zhao's face with his foot out ready to butterfly kick him, leading. Zhao cringed and backed away.

"Don't just stand there! Shoot him!" Zhao demanded pointing angrily at the Prince high in the sky. The soldiers readied their spears or began to fire bend, while some other jumped off of their komodo rhinos back.

"Shoot him?" Katara whipped around nervously. Zhao didn't answer, he just watched and smiled slyly. Obviously in his mind he was picture a guard shoot Zuko down and him falling flat on his butt. A chuckle slipped out of his mouth.

"You know, as fun as it is to actually fight and defeat somebody, it's even more fun to watch." Zhao said out loud. Katara's nose wrinkled. She whipped an icy streak of water out of the ocean and smacked Zhao in the face. Distracted, Zhao didn't see from above, so Zuko's foot hit him hard in the gut, going up and slapping his jaw. Katara actually tried to hold in her little cheer because one, she was supposed to be mad at him, and two, Aang and Sokka were just standing there watching her every move to see if she's changed any.

Zhao growled. "Alright- now I'm mad!" Zhao declared stupidly as he leaped up. Zuko readied a fire ball blast, creating some fire just by moving his hands.

"So do something about, _Admiral _Zhao." He mocked kicking on foot back with a roar as he shot the fire ball at him. Zhao jumped up in the air and attempted to do what Zuko did to him. But Zuko, being younger and more flexible flipped backwards, letting his feet knock Zhao's feet, and making Zhao fall.

Aang tip toed past dumb founded Sokka and tapped her silently on the shoulder. She turned around with a surprised look on her face from all the reactions going on.

"_Maybe we can silently get back to Appa. I've stayed out of this fight, surprisingly for a while, and I don't wanna stick around now to find out when I'll get involved" _Aang whispered. Katara nodded and turned around watching Zuko attack and watch out from being attacked. Until one of Zhao's crew members announced they had left and Zhao retreats, Zuko wouldn't even notice she was gone.

'_If he really wants me to stay, he'll take this as an opportunity to prove it to me.' _She thought she turned back around. She winked at Aang as he climbed silently off the ship. Then she leaped off. Sokka tried running and jumping off of the bow of the boat. But then his shirt got stuck on the pointed part of the bow stick out. He tried to hold in his yelp until his shirt ripped off. Aang and Katara rolled their eyes and raced into the forest with Sokka still close behind. They quickly leaped onto Appa's back and flew up in the air.

But, to Katara's surprise who was watching from above, Zuko immediately stopped fighting Zhao and looked up with a frown, but stubborn look on his face- until Zhao kicked him as hard as he could in the face.

His assistant Shoku tapped him on the finger. "Uh, sir- the Avatar is getting away." He pointed up in the sky. Zhao growling and roared as if her were an angry animal best- which he actually was.

"Retreat from the ship! And don't let that mangy kid and his lackies get away!" He ordered.

Only seconds had gone by and Zuko was left watch Katara leave him for a kid, her brother, and two incredibly strange flying animals.

"No." He whispered in terror.

_To be continued… _


	9. Part Two: Proof

Alright the new chapter of Forbidden Love is here! I am so excited and happy right now. I feel so accomplished that my first ever multi-chapter story, or any kind of story has over 100 reviews in only eight chapters! Thank you guys all so much! I'm glad you enjoyed my story!

Well, I guess I can almost say I've come a long way with this story, and you guys all helped me through the story with your encouraging reviews. Telling me to write differently for the better, or the same for the better. I'd like to thank all of your reviews. I was scared to get flames, but I think I only got one. I'm not sure though. I don't like paying attention to pointless and rude things like that when usually flamers didn't even read the whole chapter or story!

**SweetStories11**- Thanks. I usually am not one to go for the leaving-with-a-single-chilling-quote but I think that it is kind of cliché and it usually never makes things a cliffhanger (at least that's my opinion), but I decided to try it out. I don't approve of it still and that's probably the last time you'll ever read one of my stories like that, but still. There is a first- and last- time for everything. In my case, it was both. Anyway, thanks for reviewing my story.

**Boylessgirl52941**- Okay, hope I got the right numbers in the right order. Anyway, well here you are. Thanks for reviewing; I'm sorry it's a few days late of notice since I usually enjoy updating around Friday night. It gives me a week to spread out my writing and proofreading and a week to get those extra reviews in! Like yours! Thanks for reviewing!

**SovereignxXxBrunette**- Thanks. I was kind of going for that sweet and sad kind of thing. I believe that it sort of wets the readers appetites so they will come back to find out if the character staying sad, or became happy. It's a long run kind of thing, really. Thanks for reviewing.

**Monito**- I know, right? Thanks for reviewing.

**C.A.M.E.O. 1 and Only**: It's true, I do. But it is always amusing to see what the readers think or want or both to happen. But I can give you a heads up that Zhao has had his time with Aang. He and Aang won't even be in the same room together alone or with others ever again in this story. This is where it starts to get dramatic.

**ElfLuver13**- That's okay. Short reviews are fine too. Besides, I like to do my reviewing late at night (or very early in the morning) as well. It's more fun, I think. But hey- that's just me.

**Seya492**- Um…interesting in the good way or the bad way? -Confused-

**Chocolate Swirlz**- Yeah- you do always say 'this is my favorite chapter!' in every chapter review you well- review. But it's amusing to see you debate. My favorite chapter was the one with the Zukara fluff. The Prince and The Pauper I think it was.

**Fairy Frost**- Yeah, well. Thanks! It takes a real perfectionist. Lol. Just kidding. Your stories are amazing, too. I think maybe you should give it a go with writing Avatar stories. They are really fun to write!

**Inuyashachick04-** Thanks. Yeah- I guess you really **COULD** say that they are in love. And Prince Zuko is the one more in love, really. That and he didn't want to let another person down by breaking a promise. He just wanted to the right thing- for him. It was really sweet, what he goes through in this chapter.

**Tiffany**- Yeah, thanks for reviewing.

**Jerseygrl246**- Yeah- suspense. I'm thinking I like that word more than 'cliffhanger'. Suspense sounds more mysterious. Lol. ANYWAY, thank you for reviewing, Jerseygrl246.

**Avafangir**l- Yeah, well, I though it seemed kind of rushed. One chapter they fall in love with each other quickly then the next morning the girl's ready to fight and then just walk out and leave him. I was hoping nobody would mention it. I guess I'm just being insecure or something, though. Thanks for reviewing.

**Freita**- Thanks for reviewing. I never thought I was much of an action writer. I thought I sucked at that genre and romance. I just can't describe their body parts and lusty junk that some people get into. I can describe a kiss and where the people's hands are and everything- as long as they aren't in completely inappropriate places.

**Sleefmistress**: Thanks for reviewing. I'm glad you liked it.

So here I am with the new chapter. I hope you all enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar. Still. Damn.

* * *

**Chapter Nine: Part Two: Proof

* * *

**

"I still do not understand why you must do this, Prince Zuko." Iroh sighed as he sat on the edge of Zuko's bed. Zuko uncrossed his legs and rolled off the side of the bed placing his feet on the ground and standing up.

"Nobody understands. Nobody will ever understand." Zuko said. Iroh knew he was going to 'rescue' as Zuko so put it, but he also knew when he had just said that he was talking about his past- not Katara. The reflection of the Prince's eyes showed the tears of a broken child crying out for love and understanding. But nobody would answer his call no matter how hard somebody would try.

He was easier to get inside of when he was younger. But as time grew, and his sister was born, his mother was murdered, and his father banished him, his dark past that wouldn't stop growing deeper and darker and the young boy had turned into a closed, dark, stubborn, hard core young man that wouldn't let anyone in.

"Then let me understand." Iroh pleaded.

"I must do this." Zuko said not allowing his uncle to attempt to change the subject to something he doesn't like to think about, but always does anyway.

"You spend one night with her and all of the sudden you fall in love with her? Is that even possible?" Iroh asked throwing his arms in the air for a second being more dramatic than needed.

"It's not just that. I made a promise to her. _I made a promise to her." _Zuko insisted.

"But I still do not get it. It's okay for once in a while you break a pro-"

"No! I've let too many people down in my life! I'm not going to let another one down! I'm just not! I won't!" Zuko spat in rage. Iroh closed his eyes with a sigh as he rested his arm on his knee and rubbed his temples.

"But there must be a more efficient way to handle this situation." Iroh said opening his eyes. Zuko had taken off all of his armor and was now stripping his shirt off only leaving his uncovered abs, biceps, and abdomen. Iroh clamped his hand over his eyes as Zuko walked behind a curtain hanging off the wall by only a golden pole in the shape of a dragon with its mouth open.

A few zipper sound and buckles and snaps came from behind the curtain where Zuko was dressing. Iroh got bored so his hand flapped down away from his uncovered eyes. His maroon pants that were apart of his young man navy ensemble were off of his body and hanging off of the golden pole, straight down on the dark violet velvet curtain covered Zuko's unclothed body.

Iroh fell backwards onto Zuko's bed; spread out like a star, the idiot that he is. The small grinding squeak came from the curtains rings sliding back on the golden dragon pole. Iroh lifted his body up and sat up.

Zuko was dressed in all black. His boots were black, with pure gold sole, only to show off hoe rich and royal he truly was. His pants were the same like his old ones, just black this time. He had a short sleeved black shirt on, with tiny gold tight bracelets on his wrists. His hair was down as well.

The last thing missing- Zuko snatched a chocolate brown strap carrier off of the hook on the wall next to his little dressing corner. He strapped it over his back and pulled the buckles to tighten it to his chest. Then he opened two big chestnut doors. There was a big shelf full of spears, swords, Dao swords, and two silver daggers with the fire symbol on them, line with emerald gem stones on the handles.

He grabbed the two daggers and cupped them into the carrying holders strapped to his back by a chocolate brown strap across his chest. "Wow." Iroh spat out. Zuko, eyebrow arched, turned around.

"Wow, what?" He asked.

"Just wow." Iroh said covering up his mistaken word that slipped out.

"'Just wow' what?" Zuko repeated himself.

"It's just that you look very…very-"

"Very what?" Zuko was trying to keep his temper. He felt like his beloved uncle was keeping a secret from him. Zuko hated when people kept secrets from him. Especially when they were about him.

"You look very…"

"WHAT?"

"….Nocturnal?" Iroh suggested.

"Nocturnal." Zuko repeated.

"Yep."

* * *

"What's wrong, Katara?" Aang asked as he watched Katara slip his legs into her wooly and furry sleeping bag. Her eyes were anxious and hollow. She took a deep sigh.

"It's nothing." She tried to assure her friend Aang, whom was just trying to help her.

"But you look so sad. You should be happy! You should be rejoicing! Your our of Zuko's reach! Your with the people you _love _now." Aang said clearly. But Katara felt like Aang had purposely emphasized 'love'.

"Am I with the people I love?" She questioned slipping fully into her sleeping bag and closing her eyes shut leaving Aang dumbfounded and breathless.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this? It'll be dangerous with all of admiral Zhao's guards creeping around in the nights shadow of the forest." Iroh explained as he followed his newphew onto the front deck. It was around 11:00.

"It's not a matter of wanting to do this, which I do anyway; it's a matter of _needing _to do this." He tried to calmly explain. Iroh sighed. He still did not understand.

"Well, are you ready to also capture the Avatar?" Iroh asked him placing his hands in his long sleeves. Zuko faced towards his uncle.

"What?" He responded.

"Aren't you going to capture the Avatar?" Iroh asked innocently.

"No, I'm going for Katara, didn't I already tell you that?" Zuko replied.

"Well, I just figured you were also going to grab the Avatar." Iroh told him.

"But that wouldn't be truthful." Zuko looked a little displeased in himself. Iroh grabbed him by the pony tail and walked him over to the starboard side of his ship, the side that the waves crashed against in the choppy water.

"What do you see?" Iroh asked him.

"You, me." Zuko replied.

"Now, focus on you. And what do you see?" Iroh asked him.

"My face." Zuko replied.

"And look at the details."

"My scar-"

"Your hair, your eye color, you mouthing expression." Iroh pulled him away from the side of the ship. Then he pulled Zuko's short sleeve up on the right side of his arm. There was a symbol with a flame on top of it.

"Do you know what that represents?" Iroh asked him.

"That I'm Fire Nation Royalty." Zuko responded matter-of-factly.

"Exactly. Everyone in the Fire Nation Royalty has one of those and everyone is in it. You are made up of part of your father, sister, mother, ancestors, and the royalty that hasn't been born yet." Iroh explained.

"So, part of me is my father? And my sister? But I'm a year old than my sister. How can she be apart of me?" Zuko asked him sincerely and innocently, actually quite interested and distracted by his symbol.

"Once you are born, your mother and father take a part of their symbol and put it onto you. Zula is a part of your parents and that is why she is apart of you as well." Iroh told him.

"So-"

"So basically you're a walking 'Royalty Family Tree'." Iroh joked.

"Well, what does this have to do with being truthful?" The quizzical Prince asked his uncle.

"You're a Fire Nationer! You father was never truthful! He always got what he wants! He put a part of him into you, so you are not truthful as well." Iroh said.

"But I want Katara. And my mother- she was always truthful." Zuko argued.

"True. And she also trusted her heart."

"Then can I trust my heart and go get Katara." Zuko asked him sounding a little impatient.

"Zuko- if you want to trust your heart, do what feels most right to you. You have a choice, go get the woman you love, or go get you honor back to the Fire Nation." Iroh said.

"I will." Zuko said walking over to the bow of the boat and jumping off.

"Be careful, Prince Zuko!" Iroh called waving his arm up in the air as he watched Zuko disappear into the thick forest.

----------

'_Trust my heart, trust my heart. Trust my heart. Trust my heart. Trust my heart. Trust my heart." _Zuko got distracted by a silk white line falling in front of his face. '_Oh super. I'm only sixteen and I'm already getting gray hair.' _He thought. Then he noticed white silky lines all over his black night ninja suit. 'W_hat the-' _He turned around and all he saw were two trees about three feet apart. At each side of the tree was the only thing left of a giant spider web.

"Ew." Slipped out of Zuko's mouth.

"What was that? Was that a bear?"

Zuko clamped his hand over his mouth with one hand. With the other hand he wiped all the webs off of his body. '_I really hope that 'giant spider web' doesn't mean 'giant spider'. And I hope that giant spider isn't on me.' _Zuko heardmore voices and leaves cracking under feet_. 'So uncle was right- Zhao's still got his goons looking for the Avatar. Stupid oafs.' _

Zuko kept walking silently and headed for a mucky pond. He was doing good, until he tripped over a rock. A grunt and the sound of rustling leaves and snow chunks flew up in the air after the Prince's lethal fall.

"You search over hear, I'll go over here." He heard a guard say. Crackling snow and leaves under the guards feet came closer and closer towards Zuko. Zuko leaped up and grabbed a silver dagger out of his pack.

"Got'cha!" The guard leapt out of the woods. Zuko turned around at the speed of light with his dagger out far, not even bothering to see who it was. A strangled cry slipped out of the guard's mouth. Zuko had decapitated the guard. Zuko wiped the blood off of his dagger onto his suit, not thinking at all. Then he put his dagger away and dashed into the water as he heard the other guard race over.

Zuko tried opening his eyes under the water, but it was too dark and mucky to see anything. He felt a turtle swim near the waters surface, across his back. His feet were sticky from walking on the soft mud at the bottom of the pond. Some of the blood off of his suit and dagger was coming off in the water, but most of it was already stained on permanently.

He jumped out of the water and began running. Reinforcements were on the other side of the lake. Zuko found that out when he zoomed right past one. Then they began chasing him.

"Hey, get back here!" A guard in front called.

It was hopeless. Zuko couldn't keep on running all night. He reached one arm up in the air and caught onto a branch, swinging himself up onto a big tree. He shot up towards the top of the tree and jumped to another.

"Well I'm never doing _this_ again." Zuko said aloud to nobody as he jumped a few more trees.

'_Urghh! Great! Now I have no clue where I am! Now I have no clue where Katara is!" _And Zuko must have said that last part out loud because a sweet girl's voice responded calling his name. "Katara?" Zuko looked down Katara was standing up out of her sleeping bag with Sokka and Aang by the side of her with Appa sleeping with Momo and his back and the camp fire's fire going down. "Katara! I found you!" Zuko climbed down a few branches then jumped down to the ground. Katara raced over and hugged him.

--------

"So you risked you life, swam through a disgusting swamp, climbed up a tree, went through a giant spider web with probably a poisonous spider living on it just to give my proof you love me?" Katara asked. Zuko blushed with a sensitive smile but nodded yes. "Well, that's all the proof I need." She said. Then she grabbed him by the shirt and pressed her lips against hers.

The fire at camp was about dead now, but neither of the two cared. Momo and Appa were awake and watching them make out, but neither of them cared. Sokka was awake (barely) and was out of his sleeping bag, but neither of them noticed. But Sokka noticed them. And he silently watched from across the camp fire, with a look of death in his ears. A growl almost slipped up his throat as he watched A Fire Nation Prince inhale his little sister's mouth, and most likely spit. Sokka didn't want to know if he was sure about the spit part. But he knew he despised it.

"Let's go, now." Katara said breaking the kiss with a smile. Zuko stood up with a sincere smile on his face and reached his hand out letting the girl take it and lift herself up.

"Aang! Aang wake up!" Sokka said shaking Aang hard as the sun rose high in the sky. "Aang! Katara is gone!" Aang shot up straight. "Aang, Katara is gone. Aang so is her sleeping bag. All I found was a mark in the dirt. Like something was pressed against it." Sokka showed Aang what he was talking about.

A symbol of a letter with the markings of a flame around it was dusted into the powdery dirt floor covering.

"It's a Fire Nation mark. A royal one." Aang in a raspy voice.

"Well, how do you know its royalty?" Sokka asked him kneeling down next to him.

"I don't know. But I know its royalty Fire Nation markings. Prince Zuko has her." Aang said standing up. "This means war." Aang said he folded up Sokka's sleeping bag, grabbed Momo and jumped on Appa's back.

Sokka turned the other way. '_How can I tell Aang that the girl he loves loves the man he hates?' _Sokka asked himself.

"Appa, yip, yip!" Appa rose into the air leaving Sokka on the ground.

"Hey! Wait!" Sokka called. Appa circled around towards the ground again.

"Sorry, Sokka."

* * *

I cannot freaking believe Zuko cut his hair off in the season finale! I completely died! In fact, this is my ghost writing this. Okay, not really just kidding, but seriously I couldn't even believe it. And honestly, I have no clue why he did it . I have a few ideas why involving Azula, but I'll leave them alone until this Friday. When the new episode and the new chapter of Forbidden Love comes out!

Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter.

And you'll get a cookie if you review!


	10. Forbidden Love

Alright I am writing this next chapter in advance so I can make it to my dead line. I usually like updating my story every Friday from 4:00 pm to around 7:00 pm my time, Standard Eastern time. But anyway. Thank you all so much for reviewing, again. I really enjoyed it. And somebody reviewing under the pen name **star skates- **that was my sister. She found out I had an account on this site so she decided to hack into my computer when I was at hip-hop class and read my story. As Internet-retarded as she is, Jacey reviewed under my account, star skates. Just to clear that up for anyone who was wondering.

And I found a couple of stories that need reorganization and pimpin'. First is **Amethyst Eclipse**. Her new, and first, story **The Perfect Storm**. It is an awesome story but needs to be read and reviewed. Also, the other story and author that needs to be recognized is **the-reason-you-panic-at-the-disco. **The story is **So sick of Love Songs. **Just thought I'd let you all know because they are both good stories for their first Avatar stories so you should check them out.

Let me do this one quick-

Thank you all to **BoylessGirl52941**, **Monito, jerseygrl246, ditz4lfy, Zutara Lover, latafmodginkianp1618, Outsane **(haven't heard from you in a while!), **SokkaGirl, Sangi, C.A.M.E.O. 1 and Only, seya492, SpleefMistress, Kalloen, Avatarlover3030, **and **Jacey **(**star skates, **my sister who decided to be a jerk and type a review to me through my pen name).

Disclaimer: You _know_ I don't.

* * *

**Chapter Ten: Forbidden Love

* * *

**

'_The good news,' _Katara thought as she strapped her shirt in and pulled down her long skirt to fit below her waist, '_Zuko proved to me he has a good heart and loves me. The bad news-' _Katara sighed sadly. '_I abandoned Sokka and Aang.' _With a whining groan of frustration, Katara sat back down heavily on Zuko's bed making it move for a second. She looked around then flattened a crease in the blanket folded neatly on the Prince's bed.

"I wonder what's for breakfast." She thought aloud. She walked over to the door and opened it only to reveal a certain Prince with one hand over his eyes and another in a fist about to knock on his own door.

"What are you doing?" Katara asked with a giggly tone.

"Just to make sure you weren't getting dressed or anything," Zuko said sheepishly as he uncovered his eyes with a little flush of pink on his cheeks. The two were in awkward silence for a few seconds, which to them seemed like forever. "So, breakfast is ready." Zuko said trying to make a conversation. She nodded sweetly. "After our meal I was thinking we could go to the market district."

"But what about Zhao? You aren't even supposed to be on Avatar Azor's island." Katara responded.

"Oh yeah, you fell asleep on the way back to the ship- like five minutes after we started walking back. Anyway, right after I got on the ship my Uncle said Zhao's goon assistant came by. My Uncle Iroh said he barely got passed him. Right when I got back with you we left. And it's an hour before noon- we're about three small islands from the full Avatar Azor district." Zuko explained as they began walking.

"Oh. I hadn't known that." Katara said blushing about having Zuko carry her back to his ship as she slept in his arms. "I guess you should have told me, huh?"

"Yeah, I guess I probably should have."

"So, let's eat!" Katara said enthusiastically.

* * *

"Urgh! I cannot believe this!" Aang said pacing back and forth angrily where Zuko's boat once was shipped on the shore. Sokka just lazily sat back and relaxed on Appa's back barely listening to Aang rant on and on. "How could we not have waken up? Zuko is no ninja. He may be quiet, but I am a light sleeper and I think I would have heard Katara screaming when he kidnapped her!" Aang screamed stomping back over to Sokka and Appa. Sokka rolled his eyes and hopped off Appa and landed in front of Aang.

"Listen kid, I didn't want to tell you this, but- I did wake up when Zuko came for her." Sokka began to confess.

"And what happened? Did he stuff her in a bag? Put a cloth in her mouth so she couldn't say or scream anything? What did he do to her?" Aang asked impatiently.

Sokka took a deep breath.

"The only thing he did to her was kiss her. And- and she let him." Aang was silent. No body language, no noise- no movement. Nothing.

"Aang, I'm sorry-"

"I don't believe you." Aang replied in a monotone. Sokka's eye widened.

"W-what makes you think I would lie about my sister making out with our foe?" Sokka asked him.

"Because-" He began darkly pointing his finger right in Sokka's face. "because you've turned on me. You have betrayed me! I HATE YOU!" Aang punched Sokka angrily in the lip then kicked him in the crotch before running away into the forest screaming, "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"

Sokka fell to the ground in pain; his lip bleeding. Momo jumped beside Sokka.

"He's gone completely nuts."

* * *

"Zuko," Katara began as she looked up at the tall and poised Prince. "this doesn't feel right. I have an unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach." Katara told him.

"Maybe it's all those frosted cream puff flakes you scarfed down at breakfast." Zuko scoffed.

"No, I mean," Katara sighed. "I think with Sokka and Aang is where I belong. I don't think I can go on here." Katara said disappointed in herself. "Zuko, I'm sorry. I should have never agreed to come back with you." Katara began to cry as she turned the other way.

Zuko didn't turn around to comfort her. He was silent himself. He deeply sighed and closed his eyes, meditating to keep his cool in his mind.

"I won't force you to stay with me. At least- not if you don't want to be here." Zuko said.

"No," Katara said facing up at Zuko, grasping his hands in hers. "It's not that. I do love you-" She said pulling his face closer to hers and kissing it. "It's just that- this love that we share- it's forbidden."

"Fine. Then Katara, you should go." Zuko said as he wiped away Katara's tear.

"Yes. Leaving is for the best."

* * *

**A/N:** Ooo….dun dun dun- now, the way I am planning this, I think I can finish my first full-fledged story in two chapters! So sad -tears-. But it is also relieving. I won't stop writing. Right when I finish this story, I'll start another one.

Please review!

And sorry for such a short chapter! I think this is my shortest yet!


	11. Fire and Ice

Damn. I had to rewrite this who freaking chapter over because I forgot to save the chapter. It really sucks too. This is about the seventh time I had missed my self-deadline. I always try to post it at night on Friday. Now here I'm writing this and it's 10:44 pm Saturday. That really sucks. I am so mad right now it isn't even funny. It is wicked annoying and I seriously hope that this NEVER happens ever, ever, EVER again!

Alright, anyway, thank you for reviewing. After this chapter, the next chapter will end the story. This one will be the usual length of my chapters, around 4 or 5 pages long on Microsoft Works. The next chapter will be longer. I think a lot longer, actually. I also have the next chapter of my new story written. It is done, proofread, and ready to be posted! I am thinking of posting it after this chapter, but I am still deciding.

Disclaimer: Say your breath and I'll answer it for you- no I don't.

* * *

**Chapter 11: Fire and Ice

* * *

**

"I cannot believe after all that! You put on a night suit,"

"Please be quiet."

"Went into a dark forest with Admiral Zhao's fleet looking for the Avatar ready to kill anyone in their way,"

"Just stop talking."

"Decapitated one of them then swam through a disgusted and mucky swamp,"

"Quit it!"

"Jumped tree to tree, made out with her in front of her brother and the Avatar,"

"Shut it."

"Brought her back,"

"Is there and 'off' button for you somewhere?"

"And now you are letting her leave."

"Oh my God! I cannot believe you don't shut up!"

-----------------------------------------------------

"Aang! Aang, can you hear me! Aang!" Sokka called with Momo on his shoulder and Appa trailing behind him into the forest. Sun streamed through the tall tree's branches full with green, ripe leaves and berries. "Hello! World to Aang!" Sokka tried to get his friend's attention. Momo snickered. Sokka looked at him. "You're right. With all of Zhao's lackies running around here, I probably shouldn't be screamed 'Avatar' at the top of my lungs." He concluded with agreement. He stopped short.

"Did I just talk to a lemur?" Sokka asked himself out loud. He slapped his forehead and kept on walking. "And I thought _Aang _was insane." He said pushing through big bushes.

"Aang!" He began again. "Aang, please! I know it upset you about Katara! I'm upset, too! But you can't run away from the truth! It's hurts me on the inside just like it hurts you. I love Katara and I know you do too." He paused. He fell to his knees and looked up to the sky. "Oh , dear God! Show me a sign! Please!" He cried.

"Sokka?"

Sokka looked around. "God? Is that really you?"

"Sokka! It's me! Aang!"

"Say what?"

"Look up!" A few leaves fell in Sokka's face. Then out of a tall and thick tree branch Sokka saw Aang's hand waving in the breeze, motioning him to go up.

Sokka began climbing the tree quickly. He got to the top, at least as high as he could go. He opened a wooden hatch door and climbed up to a little bamboo tree fort. He stood up, confused and disturbed.

"Aang, did you make all of this?" he looked around, under a small canopy made of banana leaves, Aang was chilling out, staying away from direct sunlight which streamed through the bamboo shoot walls. "Whoa." Sokka whispered in awe as he looked around.

"Cool, huh? Much better than that stupid ol' Jet's tree fort." He stopped. "Cozier, too!" He said crossing his legs and slouching down. "C'mon over, Sokka! Take a seat!" He said enthusiastically.

"Aang I-"

"Me first." He said sitting up. "I'm sorry for the way I reacted. And I heard every word you said. I did believe you- but I just-" He sighed. "I just didn't _want _to believe you." Sokka put his hand on his friends shoulder for support.

"It's okay. We'll get her back. I followed the two back to his ship as far as I could. But Katara was sleeping and Zuko apparently has sharp ears because every time I moved, he stopped to listen and look around." He informed the kid.

Aang looked up, wanting more information.

"I had to cut my trail off because I knew where I was going from there on out. I was spying on Zuko's ship. One, they were having music night and let me tell you- Zuko's Uncle sucks at singing."

"Just get on with it!" Aang said lazily and impatiently .

"Okay, so anyway, Zhao's assistant Shoku, or something' like that went by the ship."

Aang looked confused.

"Long story short, Zuko's ship set sail."

"WHAT?" Aang couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Sorry, Aang. But don't worry! Like I said before, we'll get Katara back-"

"No! we won't! You saw the way she _let _Zuko kiss her! She didn't have to go back with him! She wanted to! She wants to be with him! And nothing we do will fix that- no matter how much we hate the truth." Aang said angrily in a melancholy tune.

"_She's never coming back." _Sokka and Aang whispered sadly to each other at the same time. Sokka sniffled. Aang looked up. Sokka was wiping his eye and looked up at his young friend as he stood up.

"I-I'm going to go outside. I think I need to be alone." He wiped his eye again. "I-I have something in my eye." He lied, trying to cover up the fact he was crying a bit for his sister.

"Sokka- be careful! You didn't close the wooden hatch door-"

"AAAAHHHH!"

Crash.

Thump.

Slam.

**SPLAT!**

Aang raced over to the hatch door and peeked his head down. Sokka was lying on the dirt ground spread out like a star with his face smashed into the earth. He looked like a scrambled egg on dirt.

"Sokka! Are you okay!"

"_I can't feel my legs." _

* * *

Katara and Zuko jumped off the ship. 

"Well, it took us until sunset, but here we are- back at the docks again." Zuko said trying to perk up about the situation.

"Are you sure you want to take me back yourself to my friends?" Katara asked him strapping her sack across her waist tightly. Zuko nodded nonchalantly.

"It might be the last time I see you when we aren't in combat. I think we should make the best of these times." Katara sighed at his comment, wishing he had never said that.

"But no attachments, right? My first sighting of Aang and Sokka, and we are back to be mortal enemies, okay?" Katara suggested not willing to take 'no' for an answer. Zuko nodded stiffly as he followed Katara into the forest again.

'_What ever you want, bitch.' _He thought angrily.

-----------

"What if the two left their campsite? What kind of idiots stays at their sleeping grounds all day?" Zuko asked.

"Umm…not sure. But it never hurts to try anyway, right?"

"It also never hurts to know where you're going."

She turned around with a scoff and her hands on her hips. "What is your problem?" She asked his angrily.

"You're my problem right now!" He yelled back.

"I don't know who you think you are, but I'm not going to stand here while you throw your little Prince tantrum because you are really being mean!" Zuko growled and turned around walking away. She gasped and turned his way.

"W-wait! Where are you going." He stopped and looked at her.

"I am going back to my ship and sailing. And while I am heading back, alone, I am going to think about how in the world I could make myself believe I could fall in love with a cruel, selfish, vain, rude Water Tribe peasant! For once I am agreeing with my Uncle! I cannot believe I got in a night suit, went into the dark forest, decapitated somebody, swam through a dangerous and disgusting swamp, jump tree from tree to get you, being you back, set sail my ship and then go back to the spot and bring you back into the lethal forest because you wanted to be with your stupid friends!"

Katara gasped, not saying anything else, but letting him continue.

"Inconsiderate, selfish, heartless, bitchy, peasant!"

She looked down at her feet embarrassed- but mostly disappointed with herself.

"Is that really what I have done?"

"Yeah."

"Bitchy."

"Oh yes."

"Cruel?"

"Undeniable."

"Rude?"

"Totally."

"Heartless?"

"Completely."

"Vain?"

"Couldn't have said it better myself."

"Selfish?' She seemed most disappointed in the 'selfish' part of it.

"Is that really what I have done to you? Have I really used you? Played with your heart? Toyed around with you?" Katara couldn't believe what she was saying- she couldn't believe she did that to Zuko- she couldn't believe that she did that to anyone.

"Yes! Exactly! I may be a Fire Nationer, but I still have feelings. I still know pain emotionally and physically. And right now, you have made me feel worse then when-" He stopped and held his breath in, then exhaled. He began to whisper, "You have made me feel worse then when my father gave me the scar on my face an d banished me times ten." Saying no more he left.

"I'm sorry! You're right! I have been a bitch! You can call me any rude name you want because I deserve it! You can say anything!" He turned around and looked at her. "But you cannot say that you didn't agree with me when I said the love we share is forbidden. Because it is and you know it is."

"That doesn't mean-"

"Hear me out! Your father and nation would never allow you to see somebody out of your home nation- let alone a Water Tribe peasant. And my tribe and Aang would never allowed me to see you and love you. It isn't right. Your fire-" She paused. "And I'm ice. Opposites. And I'm not saying opposites attract, but you're going one way in your life, and I'm going the other way."

"Are you finished?" He asked. She took a deep breath in with a nod. "Good." He walked over to her and hugged her tightly into his embrace. She hugged his back, wiping a tear away on her sleeve.

"So, what do we do now?" She asked.

"I'll tell you what you do-" A familiar voice said from somewhere in the forest.

"Hey! Who said that?" Katara called grabbing onto Zuko fro support from being so nervous.

"The only thing that you are going to do is surrender and tell us where the Avatar is located." Katara and Zuko turned around with a gasp. Zhao was standing there with two guards on each side of him and a sour smile on his face that even his mother couldn't love.

"Well, this sucks." Zuko sighed dramatically.

* * *

A/N: Alright, not so long, only my usually around 4, 5 or 6 pages long. Most likely I'm on my 5th page on Microsoft Works, but hey, who's countin'? 

Anyway, I know I said two long chapters. But the next, and last chapter will be longer than this.

Reasons why:

1- It's like the season finale- it has to be long and good.

2- Because Aang and Sokka have to go find Zuko and Katara

3- Sokka and Zuko battle it out

4- Katara and Zuko verbally fight because Zuko hurt Sokka badly.

5- Zuko gets into a physical fight because of his little fight with Katara

6- Aang and Zuko make a short-day truce so they can take down Zhao

7- The take down Zhao

8- Zuko and Katara say their good-byes

And lastly,

9- Aang and Zuko's truce is over and they go back to hating each other.

Okay, so that's it! And you know the drill- if you want to see the last full chapter of Forbidden Love, I'd review- pronto.


	12. Grande Finale

_Grande Finale _

"Well, this could have gone better." Zuko muttered. Katara rolled her eye brows with a smirk.

"Gee, ya think?" Zuko looked at her. She sighed. "I just wish Aang was here." She breathed heavily. Zuko looked down at his feet feeling hurt.

"Yeah, whatever." He whispered.

"Sorry." Katara peeped, thinking about what she had just said. "I just can't help it."

"Well can you try to help it?" Zuko asked reluctantly.

"And can you try to keep your mouths shut?" Zhao said walking between them, pushing Katara. Katara fell to the ground, unable to keep her balance, for her arms were tied behind her by a tight coil rope.

"Hey!" Zuko barked. "Don't you touch her." Zhao slapped Zuko to the ground with a grunt. Zuko looked up with a growl.

"Don't you disrespect me!" Zhao yelled.

"You don't deserve respect!" Katara offered with a shriek. Zhao turned around. Katara was sitting up on the ground on her knees. "Leave him alone!" She continued. Zhao gritted his teeth. He snapped his fingers.

"Assistant!" Shoku ran up behind Zhao. He turned around, with a push of his assistant.

"Yes sir."

"Take these two to my _special _'guest' cell." Shoku nodded. He snapped his fingers and Shoku turned. Then he snapped his fingers and about ten guards came out of the forest.

"You heard the boss. Take 'em to a heavily guarded single-cell." Shoku ordered. The guards and Shoku disappeared.

"Well breaking away from Zhao could be harder than I expected." Katara concluded standing up awkwardly. Zhao whipped around.

"There will be no breaking out! You are both my prisoners for breaking the law!" Zhao screamed.

"Breaking the law? That's insane I don't have to listen to this." Zuko resisted turning his back to Zhao. Zhao scoffed with anger. He grabbed Zuko by the back of his neck armor.

"The law said that if anyone on this shoreline saw you through the naked eye or with a telescope on your ship, you were too close to land."

"The law didn't say that you did!" Zuko retorted. "And if this has to do with me and my ship, then-" He stopped; he looked at Katara who was whimpering, by watching and listening very clearly to what Zhao and Zuko were saying and doing. He sighed. "Then let her go and take me." He said.

"Zuko-no." Katara replied with a plead. Zhao let Zuko go and looked over at Katara.

"What meaning would a little Water peasant do for a great Fire Lord?" He muttered, asking himself. He scoffed and waved his hand vertically in a snob fashion. "Fine! A cell for one! Shoku!"

The assistant came out from behind Zhao. He turned around, knocking Shoku again.

"Release the girl, but keep a close eye on the exiled one over there." The two looked at Zuko. "I don't want him getting out like the Avatar did with his little friend."

"Wait- Aang and Sokka were here?" Katara asked. Shoku nodded as he untied the rope and releasing her arms.

"Now get out of here before I change my mind!" Zhao ordered. She looked at Zuko who had just gallantly turned himself in for her freedom.

"I'm coming back for you, Zuko." Katara said before she vanished into the forest. '_But first I need to find Aang and Sokka.'_

---

She had been searching for over three hours. Breathing heavily, getting tired, feeling nauseous from being so hungry, she was dizzy, dirty and lost. "Help!" Katara called, falling to her knees gasping for breath. It was becoming dusk and stars were beginning to appear. "Help." She gulped weakly.

"He_lpppp…"_

---

Katara opened her eyes to be in a bamboo tent-type of cabin. It was still blurring but a graphic of Aang filled the empty space in her mind.

"Katara? Are you awake? If you can hear me blink."

She blinked. Aang breathed heavily, thankful she was awake. Katara sat up, rubbing her head. She looked around with another innocent blink. It was pitch black out, she could see that through the small window opening in the bamboo shoot wall.

"Thank God you are okay." Aang said concerned.

"W-What happened to me?" Katara asked, rubbing her head some more.

"Aang and I found you passed out on the ground right below Aang's little tree fort thingy." Sokka told her. Katara looked around. It was like a beautiful house of it own jungle. Everything was lit up and hand-made.

"Wow." Katara gazed in awe.

"Yep, wasn't easy, but I completed it all by myself." Aang bragged. Sokka scoffed.

Katara stuttered, "Yeah but, how did you get all this time?" Katara asked. Sokka looked worriedly at Aang who was frowning and shuffling his feet; his head down looking at the leafy and bamboo-made ground.

"You left." Sokka said. Katara whipped her head over at Sokka with a frown. "I saw you with Zuko when he leapt into our sleeping grounds that night." He smirked. Katara looked down, brushing a wrinkle out of her long powder blue skirt.

"Oh." She said sadly, too embarrassed to look up. "Listen," She paused, "I'm sorry- and I can explain-"

"No." Aang looked at her, getting frustrated and angry. "You can't."

"It didn't mean to happen- I mean, it was an accident." Katara said, feeling hot tears swell up in her eyes. She tried with all of her might to keep them from spilling out.

"Oh!" Aang yelled standing up. "Did Zuko accidentally fall on you?"

"Did Zuko's lips accidentally kiss yours?" Sokka added. "Did you accidentally forget to push him away when he hugged and kissed you?" Her brother added. Katara felt a tear slide down her smooth skin.

Aang huffed and moved over to Katara, sitting next to her and grabbed her hands and put them in his. "And did you accidentally go with him back to his ship?" He whispered. Katara wiped the tear away. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Did you accidentally forget he was your enemy and was the Prince of the Fire Nation?" The two chimed in with unison.

"NO! YOU'RE WRONG! I DID MEAN TO KISS PRINCE ZUKO AND I LOVE HIM! I'M SORRY I ACTUALLY THOUGHT YOU TWO INCONSIDERATE, MISUNDERSTANDING, SELFISH JERKS WERE MY FRIENDS!"

Sokka stood up with an angry puff of breath. "Excuse me?" He retorted raging.

"Yeah! You aren't deaf! You head me loud and clear! I would rather be locked up in a cell with Prince Zuko in Zhao's grasp then spend another second with you two losers!" She said turning and walking out the door. Aang stood up and grabbed her arm.

"No! Let go of me!" She ordered.

"No- Wait! You were with Zhao?" Aang asked.

"Yeah! I told Zuko I wanted to be with you two, my friends! Then we got captured by Zhao and I found out that you two escaped from Zhao and Zuko told Zhao to let me go so I went looking for you for help! But obviously I made a huge mistake!" She screamed. Aang tightened his grip. "Let go of me!" Aang wouldn't. Katara whipped around, punching Aang in the stomach then racing for the hatch door to leave.

Sokka scrambled to Aang, helping him up off of the ground. By the time the two looked down the hatch door for Katara, she was already gone into the forest. "Sokka!" Aang said. Sokka looked at him. "We need to go after her! She could get hurt by Zhao!"

"After what she just did to you?" Sokka asked.

"She'll thank me later." Aang said clenching his fists.

----

"And what good does it do you for arresting me?" Zuko asked as the slammed the metal door of the jail cell shut tightly.

"One, it gives your father another reason to hate you," Zuko bit his lip angrily to keep his rage in. "Two, it gives us another reason to praise your sister for being a practical child prodigy." Zuko gritted his teeth. "And three and most importantly, it keeps you out of the way so I can easily capture the Avatar." Zhao smirked.

"You're a fool, Zhao! If you think capturing the Avatar is easy and he will come willingly, then you are a fool!" Zuko announced angrily towards the Admiral.

Zhao frowned and leaned in close to Zuko's face.

"If you ever talk to me like that again, I will kill you," He threatened.

"Too late." Zuko said with a smirk. Zhao looked confused. "Your bad breath and B.O already did." Zuko told him.

"ZUKO!"

---

'_Alright Katara, c'mon. You know Zhao's head quarters are out here somewhere. You just need to find them. You promised Zuko you would go back with help and get him out of there! You owe it to him- big time.' _She thought as she raced around and panted heavily. She fell to her knees and breathed deeply.

"Wait to go, Katara. You could have at least grabbed Appa before you ditched the only other people in this stupid forest that would be willing to help you! Ah!" She groaned at herself as she kicked the ground. "You stupid bitch!"

There was a rustle in the bushes. Katara stood up quickly and nervously.

"Hello? Who's there? C'mon, show yourself coward!" She called. After a few moments, of complete silence except for Katara's heavy breathing, she kept on walking but this time very alert.

Aang and Sokka leaped out of the bushes when she was father ahead and out of earshot.

"Aang!" Sokka whispered. "What were you thinking? If she caught she'd be even more angry! Keep your cool!" Sokka glared at the young boy. He sighed sadly and looked up at Sokka.

"Fine." He whispered back. "But the campsite is right up ahead the road and I think she's gunna miss it." Aang told Sokka. He nodded.

"Then c'mon! Well go to the outskirts of his layer pretend we are Fire guards so she'll know that she found it!" Sokka suggested. Aang nodded with his eyebrow arched slyly.

Katara looked around. Another rustle of bushes filled the empty air.

Sokka cleared his throat on the other side of those bushes to sound more manly. Aang did the same. "Uh…Hey!" Sokka began loudly. Katara stopped short with a gasp. "It's too bad Zhao is uh...planning to _kill _that stupid Prince! Ha ha!" Sokka winked and gave the thumbs up at Aang. Aang replied with the same.

"Yeah! Ha ha! Really? And can you believe how stupid Zuko is? He actually thinks that silly Water Bender is going to actually come back for him!" Aang yelled loudly.

"Oh yeah! I know! How stupid can he get?" Sokka concluded.

"Hey! He isn't stupid!" Katara screamed on the top of her lungs. Fire bending guards jumped out of the dark forest. Katara gasped again, almost fainting from surprise and being so terrified.

"Shoku! Go get your boss, Admiral Zhao! That girl is back!" A guard said. The Assistant Shoku stood out of the circle of Fire Benders. Katara gulped.

"What a silly girl!" Shoku looked around. "Wait! I heard something in those bushes! Roru! Dyrad! Go see what it was!" Shoku demanded, obviously excited he got to make the orders around since Zhao wasn't there. Two guards leapt out of the circle and ran over to the bushes and pulled Sokka and Aang up.

"Uh…," A guard with Fire Bender cuffs and long glossy black hair began.

"What is it? Spit it out Captain Dyrad!" Shoku ordered.

"One, don't you be talking to me like that! I am more highly ranker than you! I should be giving the orders, not you!" He replied icily. Shoku rolled his eyes. "Two, I just grabbed the little Avatar boy and his friend." He told Shoku. Shoku's eyes widened.

He ran over and pushed Dyrad and Roru out of the way and grabbed Aang by the scruff of his neck. He grinned. "Just wait until I tell Admiral Zhao that I caught the Avatar!" Shoku said showing all of his yellowish tinted teeth.

"You!" Dyrad and Roru repeated together.

"Well, hey! I'm the one that told you to go look in the bushes!" He insisted. He snapped his fingers. "Now, _Captain _Dyrad," He mocked. "Go tie the girl up and Roru tie the boy up. I'll take care of the Avatar."

Dryad and Roru gritted their teeth but said nothing and listened.

"You are so in for it now." Shoku whispered in Aang's ear as he tied him up and forced him into walking. Aang could have fought back, but something held him away from losing it an beating the living snot out of the snobby wanna-be.

---

A cell door opened. Katara, Aang and Sokka were thrown in the cell unwillingly but still tied up. Admiral Zhao smiled wickedly.

"This is the cell where all the mean people that break the law go!" Zhao told them.

"So then why aren't you in here too?" Sokka mocked him. Zhao frowned and slammed the big steel door shut. Katara looked around. No windows, no bars to see through for a door, no lights. They were sitting in a giant steel box with no openings.

"Ugh!" Aang began throwing strong air balls and strong wind currents and strong small twisters at the walls. Nothing worked. Aang collapsed to the ground. "Nothing will get us out of here!" Aang said helplessly.

A small light came from a corner then got close and closer. Footsteps were getting louder and louder. "Hey!" Sokka felt the robe be split in half. Then Katara's and Aang's.

"Who are you?" Katara asked in a small and weak voice.

The person created a big ball of fire and threw it up in the air. The cell began to light up more, though the corners of the big cell were still dark with shadows.

"Zuko!" Katara called happily standing up. Katara went to go hug Zuko, but Sokka jumped up and pushed her out of the way.

"Stay away from my sister!" Sokka yelled angrily, his voice echoing in the room.

"Excuse me?" Zuko retorted in a chilled tone with fiery death in his eyes.

"You heard me! Don't touch my sister you disgusting, filthy, loathsome jerk!" Sokka replied raging. Katara put her hands on Sokka's shoulder.

"Sokka! No!" Katara whispered, frightened.

Zuko angrily lit his hands up with fire and growl. Sokka took out his boomerang and his club. From one second of being free while locked up with a lover, to a fiery death with probably hitting, punching, kicking, scratching and possible biting, the next second.

"Guys!" Katara whined. But neither of them listened. They began plane attack kicks, butterfly kicks, ninja kicks, uppercuts, face-fulls, fire blasts, fire spin kicks, and other violent and lethal things.

Katara tried hiding in a corner, her knees close up to her chest and her head resting on her knees, her eyes closed trying to think 'happy thoughts'. She tried to keep herself from looking up to see what was happening and who was being hurt the most.

It felt like hours since they started fighting. Screams, walls banging from people being slammed against them, echoes in the big dark room only being lit up by Zuko's fire blasts. Trips, kicks, punches, breathing heavily, panting. Katara wondered if Aang was in that fight. She had to look up.

Right as she did, she saw Zuko lifting Sokka in the air and slamming his whole body against the big steel wall, echoing with a slam and bang. It felt like an earthquake, how hard he hit the wall. Katara ran over. Aang did, too. It seemed like Aang had gone over next to Katara and sat with her.

"I saw Zuko hit Sokka against that wall a lot, but he always got up, then." Aang whispered. Katara looked over at Sokka, his lips and nose bloody, his shirt and pants ripped and tore, his hair down, his boomerang in his hand snapped in half.

'_Looks like Zuko had no trouble at all.' _Katara thought looking over at Zuko. But apparently she was wrong. His armor was all off, his shirt ripped with his pants, his neck and forehead and face covered in scratches, blood and bruises. It also looked like Sokka used his club to backfire Zuko's attacks, because Zuko had burn marks on the part of his chest that was bare.

"I watched it all. It went on for hours." Aang continued in a whisper as they walked closer and cautiously. "I'm actually surprised Zuko hasn't tried to pick a fight with me yet." Aang added. Katara clenched her fists.

"Well he might get one anyway." Katara growled walking away towards Zuko, leaving Aang dumbfounded. Katara walked over to Zuko, not stopping and grabbing his pony tail dragging him away too into a dark corner. Aang was pretty sure she wasn't going to make out with him after how she looked so mad, so Aang sprinted over to Sokka.

"I cannot even believe you!" Katara cried.

"Excuse me? He's the one that attacked me!" Zuko retorted.

"You massacred him!" Katara exclaimed.

"Well if he didn't ask me to kick his ass, I would have." Zuko resolved.

"Well if you didn't kick my brothers ass, I would have to kick yours." She lied. She knew for a fact that she wasn't actually going to even try to hurt Zuko; she was just trash talking. She didn't believe it and from the look on the Prince's face, he didn't really either.

"Katara- I-… No you-" He paused after stuttering. "I-I don't know how to respond to that." He spat. Katara looked away with a frown- she didn't know how to respond either.

"I'm trying to respect your feelings and what you have to do to get home." Katara spit out. Zuko arched his eyebrow at her comment, confused.

"What?"

Katara ignored him and continued. "But you have to respect my culture and my family." Katara told him. "Do you see me beating up your uncle at any time?" Katara asked. Zuko looked at her funny again. "Okay, yeah, um…that didn't come out well. But you get my point." She said. "And if you aren't going to respect my family and my culture- or at least try to like I am with yours well then, I don't think we should be together anymore." Katara said.

"Together?" Zuko asked. He scoffed. "Since when were we ever together? Do you mean like- _dating_?" He asked.

"Well, yeah. I mean you basically asked me out." Katara shrugged.

"No I did not." He said matter-of-factly. "When?" He asked putting his hands on his hips.

"Well- that's besides the point! We are not girlfriend and boyfriend and-"

"Then we won't even bother being friends." Zuko said quietly. Katara bit her lip, holding back a tear.

"Fine." Katara replied. And with that, Zuko turned his back to her. She wiped the tear away that slid down her cheek and began walking away. '_I do love him.' _told herself.

"But I can't." She whispered softly. Then she hadn't noticed where she was walking; then she banged right into Aang.

"Katara?"

No answer. Then Katara fell to the ground crying on her knees. She tried not to let Zuko hear she was crying so she tried crying softly. Truth was, Aang could barely hear her and he was sitting right in front of her- Zuko was on the other side of the gigantic steel cell.

Aang stood up angrily. He marched ragingly over towards Zuko.

"Hey Zuko!" He called mad. "What did you to her?" Aang yelled icily.

"I did nothing to her." Zuko replied turning around to be face to face with Aang.

"Well obviously you did something to her because she's over there on her knees crying!" Aang.

"I may not like you and I may not like to talk to you and I would give anything to lie to you right now, but my mother didn't raise me that way. Read my lips: I DID NOTHING TO HER!" Zuko raised his voice, literally towering over Aang. "Besides, she's the one that tried breaking up with me." Zuko continued.

"Wait, hold up, one second," Aang listed. "You two were dating?" Aang asked the Prince trying not to sound angry.

"No." Zuko replied.

"But you just said-"

"I know what I just said." Zuko cut him off sharply.

"I'm confused." Aang said stupidly.

"Well then, allow me to help you-" Zuko said as he lifted up his fist and smacked Aang in the jaw as hard as he could.

Aang fell backwards with a loud crying grunt.

---

Katara listened from the other side of her cell, with her brothers head placed in her lap as he laid there silently. She was crying harder than ever. She wanted Sokka to wake up, she wanted Zuko to win, she wanted Aang to win, she wanted them both to stop fighting, she wanted to take back what she had just said to Zuko, she wanted to go back in time so she was never captured by Zuko, she wanted to go back in time to never take that walk with him, she wanted to beat the living hell out of Zhao, and most importantly she wanted to get out of that cell.

Then it started again; the fighting noises. But this time they were more harsh. Fire blasts and shots and balls and slashes and kicks and punches and air balls and air twirls and air spins and anything else the two could muster up.

'_Why? Why me? Out of all the people in the world! Why not at a different time- when I wasn't born or after I died. Why do I have to be living this nightmare?' _She thought between her hot and salty tears.

'_I don't know what to do. My mom always told me to listen to my heart by she also told me to also be in my own culture and not some one else's. I want to listen to my heart and love Zuko, but then I'd be out of my own culture which I don't think would be loving the Fire Nation's evil Prince.' _

Katara paused.

'_She also said violence solves nothing…' _Just then Sokka groaned. Katara looked down to see Sokka's eyelashes flutter open.

"Sokka!" She exclaimed with a cry.

"K-Katara?" He called quietly. Katara, overjoyed, leaned down and gave Sokka a sloppy kiss right on his nose. Sokka leapt moaning and groaning and complaining about her kissing him. Katara just happily giggled as she jumped on him and gave him a big bear hug.

Then she stood up.

"You wait here. I'll be right back." Katara walked over to Aang and Zuko who were punching everything out of each other.

"Guys, c'mon. Please stop." She asked nicely.

They didn't stop.

"People, please?"

Nothing happened but more punching and kicking.

"People I want this to end now."

Rolling, tumbling, kicking, smashing, blasting.

"Hello? Can either of you hear me?"

Crunch, slam, scrunch.

"Or are you just ignoring the fact I am asking you to stop?"

More blasting and swooshing.

"I guess so. Well then, you leave me no choice."

Blast. Kick. Punch. Crunch. Smash. Whoosh. Slam.

"**YOU TWO BETTER STOP FIGHTING! IT WON'T SOLVE ANYTHING AND IT WON'T GET US OUT OF THE STUPID STEEL BOX! ANY FASTER!" **

The two stopped short right in their tracks.

"Thank you for your attention." Katara said sweetly. The two looked at her. "Hey, I had to get you to from beating each other from death somehow." She shrugged.

"I think I get Katara's point." Sokka said walking over to the three. "Fighting won't solve anything. It won't get us out of here any quicker. The only way we will be able to get out is to work together. We'll all need all of our strength." Aang looked warmly over at Zuko.

"They're right. I know you need to get me to your father and that you hate me so much and everything, but we need to work together- for the Blue Spirit." Aang said. Zuko looked at him; then walked over.

"Fine. I'll work with you. I still hate you though and once we escape and foil Zhao, I'll still hate you and I will still be hunting you." Zuko finished darkly.

"Truce?" Aang suggested with a smile. And for once, Zuko smiled back with a nod.

"Truce."

"Great!" Katara butted in. "But we need a plan."

"Already got one." Zuko interrupted. "Zhao will come to check on in the flesh and alone. I know this because when he locked me up in here alone when I was 'mouthing off to him'," He air quoted, "after a long while he came in and asked me if I was dead yet."

The three others nodded.

"I think if we all stand by the door and wait, when he comes we will all give our strongest attack on him and break out." Zuko said.

"Great plan, but there's one problem." Sokka pointed out.

"And that is?" Zuko asked him lazily.

"These four walls all look the same. Does anyone remember which way was the door?" Sokka asked. Everyone looked at each other then shook their heads no.

"Well, there can't be a door without hinges that stays up by itself." Katara said. "We just find bumps where the hinges are on the walls and then we will wait by that door." Katara said.

"Yeah, sounds good, whatever." The three boys said together.

"Another problem." Aang began.

"Now what?" Zuko asked.

"We've been in here way longer than you were alone. Don't you think Zhao would have come already?" Aang asked. Then more light filled the dark room. They all turned around. A big muscular shadow was at the door.

"What about Zhao?" The muscular, dark shadow asked.

"Alright boys," Katara whispered getting into action mode. "Let's do this."

"Right!" Aang whispered. The two looked around trying to find Sokka and Zuko.

"Hiiiyah!" Aang and Katara looked by the door. Zuko and Sokka were already beating him up.

"Alrighty then," Aang said..

ATTACK!" The two shouted together, racing over to the door.

---

"We'll just see how you like being locked up in a big steel cell with no food or light for over 24 hours!" Katara said triumphantly as Aang and Zuko threw Zhao into the cell.

"Nighty night! Don't let the scary steel cell bugs bite!" Sokka mused as Aang slammed the door shut.

---

Katara looked at the sun setting on the horizon of the sea. Waves toppled over his feet gently letting some sand and some shells often slide over her smooth caramel complexioned feet. Katara sighed. She hadn't felt this free in a while.

A powder blue skirt up to her knees hanging off of her shiny legs that glistened in the sun and now moons reflection, and a crossed shirt that was sleeveless and bearing part of her stomach. Also her hair straight and dancing in the crisp and warm breeze.

"Uh..hey." Katara turned around. Zuko was standing there in black puffy shorts and a maroon and golden silk casual vest; his black, glossy hair wisping around in the wind, too.

"Hey." She replied sheepishly.

"Listen, um...I need to make this quick, I am sorry. For trying to capture you, for taking that walk with you and falling in love with you and basically ruining this whole year for you."

"Right back at you." She smiled sweetly standing up and facing him. "I am sorry too." She paused. "But we still cannot see each other anymore, correct?"

"Yeah. Well at least, we can never see each other anymore when we aren't hating each other." Zuko retorted. Katara nodded nonchalantly.

"So, is this good-bye, then?" Katara asked leaning in.

"Yeah, I guess it is." Zuko said trying not to sound sad. Katara leaned in for a good-bye kiss, but Zuko stopped her.

"No. Sorry Katara, but it's over between us." He said now heavily laying on how sad he was, sealing it thick with unhappiness.

"Oh, okay then."

"Katara, Princey-boy!" Aang called leaping out of the forest. Zuko and Katara turned around.

"I know the Avatar did not just call me 'Princey-boy'," Zuko shuddered. Katara giggled.

"So, do you hate me again?" Aang asked, cautiously walking over towards Zuko and Katara.

"Again? I always hated you, Avatar."

"Oh…so is the truce over?"

"Well, you know when it is I'll be hunting you."

"Oh."

"Avatar-"

"Yes?"

"RUN!"

Katara sighed and smiled sweetly as she watched Zuko sprint after Aang, shooting fire blasts at his feet.

'_Maybe I still do love Prince Zuko.'_

Aang ran back the other way screaming, "OH MY GOD MY ASS IS ON FIRE!"

"But I think I like it better this way." She giggled.

_Finis_

¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°°º¤ ø,¸¸,ø ¤º°°º¤ø,¸¸,ø¤º°°º¤ ø,¸¸,ø ¤º°°º¤¸,ø¤

((smiles)) All done! Whew! I cannot believe what I have been through. This chapter is fourteen pages long! AAHH! Oh yeah, and it only took me three freakin' days on doing nothing but typing.

Well you better review because I broke my back, wrists and all my fingers writing this chapter and this story!

But I loved every second of it and I hope you did too!

Love,

Princess Azula


End file.
